MANIK Sarkar, former chief minister of Tripura wrote to the union home minister regarding the invitation extended to him to attend a proposed meeting on November 29. While thanking the minister for the invite, Sarkar showed his inability to attend the meeting owing to pre scheduled programmes.

However, he placed the view points of the Party through the letter. He strongly opposed the amendments proposed by the union home ministry to the Citizenship Act. He said the proposed amendments are fundamentally against the principles enshrined in our Constitution for being treated and accepted a person as citizen of India.  This bill virtually strike at the root of the concept of citizenship in India.  This may not only dilute the age-old cherished secular principles but also send a very negative, wrong and damaging message to the society. This may hurt and shatter our tradition of culture of unity in diversity. This may weaken our national integrity.

He further proposed the ministry to not to push ahead with the disastrous amendment rather drop it in the greater interest of our national unity and integrity.

Similar views were also expressed by Gautam Das, secretary of the CPI(M) Tripura state committee who also showed his inability to attend the meeting.

In another letter written by Jiten Chaudhary on behalf of Tripura Rajya Upajati Gana Mukti Parishad (GMP), to the home minister also showed his incapacity to attend the meeting.

While sharing the Tripura point of view, he said that Tripura is a classic example where the majority of the people have become a minority and with the proposed amendment brought, the demography will certainly change. He expressed his strong resentment to the amendments and said these amendments are communally designed and goes against the secular principles of the constitution.