Kiren Rijiju, union minister of state for home, said violent protests in Arunachal Pradesh against granting permanent resident certificates to six tribes stemmed from a “communication failure”.
The state government failed to “comprehend that a situation like this could arise”, Rijiju, member of parliament from the northeastern state, told BloombergQuint in an interview.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu faced protests as it was expected to table a proposal in the assembly to grant the permanent status to the six tribes. It backed down in the face of violence.
Arunachal Pradesh is the latest state in the Northeast to witness protests. Earlier, the Citizenship Bill moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government had led to violence on fears that it will dilute the demographic profile of the region. The bill allowing refugees from six religions to be granted citizenship in India was passed in the Lok Sabha but was not tabled in the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP's intent was not to dilute the demographic composition of the Northeast, Rijiju said, adding that no “further infringement of rights” will take place under the NDA.
Any decision which will adversely affect the identity and the rights of tribal people will not be allowed, especially when I am a minister representing the Northeast.Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State, Home
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