Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Saturday said the number of people to be benefited by the amended Citizenship Act will be “very negligible”.
The exact number of those people will be disclosed at an appropriate time, he said and urged the people to maintain peace. “The number of people who will apply (for citizenship under the amended Act) will be very negligible. We are running the government and we have the data. At an appropriate time, you will be able to know all these clearly,” Sonowal said in a video message.
When the application process will be over, each information will be presented before the public, the chief minister said.
Sonowal alleged that misinformation like more than one crore people will enter Assam under the Act are being spread to create confusion among the people. “I appeal to all of you not to get convinced in this fake information. Those involved in inciting violence through spread of misinformation do not want peace and development of the society. They are harmful elements. All peaceful people should unite against such anti-social elements,” he added.
The state government has no problem with peaceful protests, Sonowal said adding that anti-social elements destroying public properties and threatening people will be punished.
Assam is witnessing one of the worst violent protests by the public in its history with three rail stations, a post office, a bank, a bus terminus, shops, dozens of vehicles and other public properties being set ablaze or ransacked.
After the Rajya Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill Wednesday night, the state erupted in protests, in which agitators fought pitched battles with the police in almost every major city or town, forcing the administration to impose curfew.
PTI