People attending MZP press meeting against CAB. Image: Northeast Now

After the Union Cabinet gave its nod to CAB on Wednesday, Mizoram’s apex and most influential student body- the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) pledged to intensify its protests against the contentious bill.

The student body in a meeting on Wednesday resolved to continue its protests against Citizenship (Amendment), Bill.

“CAB is harmful to the state as well as to the entire people of Mizoram,” MZP general secretary Lalnunmawia Pautu told Northeast Now.

Pautu said that the meeting has appealed to all political parties not to politicise the issue.

“We appeal to all political parties not to use the bill as political vendetta and take advantage out of it,” he said.

“Political parties should accept that the proposed legislation has been strongly opposed by the people,” he added.

Pautu said that the people of Northeast have unitedly opposed to the bill.

He asked all the Mizo communities to stand united in opposing the bill.

The MZP also slammed the Union cabinet for approving the bill.

“We feel regret for the Centre’s attempt to table the citizenship (amendment) bill on December 9 in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Dember 10,” Pautu said.

He said that Northeast apex student body, North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has summoned a meeting of its members on December 6 at Guwahati in connection with the bill.

He added that the proposed meeting will be attended by some MZP leaders from Mizoram.

The MZF welcomed home minister Amit Shah’s assurance to raise two battalions of CAPF, which will be made of only Mizoa and the strengthening of the existing Inner Line Permit (ILP).

“We cannot agree to the passage of CAB for these two assurances,” the MZP said.

It further said that it will continue to oppose CAB or any other matter that is likely to be harmful to Mizoram and the people.