Will tweak Citizenship Act if needed: Amit Shah

Giridih/Baghmara/Deoghar/Guwahati: While addressing election rallies in Jharkhand, Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah hinted that he is open to changes in the newly amended Citizenship Act.

Shah assured the people of the Northeast that their culture, language, social identity and political rights will be not be affected by the Act.

"I assure the people of Assam and other northeastern states that their culture, social identity, language and political rights will not be touched and the Narendra Modi government will protect them," he said.

Shah said Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his cabinet ministers met him on Friday to discuss the issue.

"Sangma ji and his colleagues said there is a problem in Meghalaya. I tried to make them understand that there is no issue. Yet, they asked me to change something (of the Act).

"I asked Sangma ji to come to me when he is free after Christmas and we can think constructively for a solution for Meghalaya. There is nothing to fear," he said.

Assam CM to meet PM, Shah

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will lead a team to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah very soon to discuss the ongoing protests in the state against the amended Citizenship Act.

Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Saturday said the decision to brief the prime minister and the union home minister on the situation was taken at a meeting of BJP MLAs and MPs here.

The team will meet the two leaders "very soon" to apprise them of the present situation in the state, Patowary said in a statement.

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 on 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. Three lives have been lost so far in the protests.

(With inputs from PTI)