Assuring not to tamper Article 371 or include foreigners, Amit Shah slates NE as gateway of New India

Guwahati, September 9: With the dream to craft New India, making Northeast the gateway; India has come a long way aligning development and growth in the region. Continuing to have the same vision, Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the region was pivotal to India's growth story and that the Centre would not tamper with Article 371. He also assured that no foreigners will be included in the National Register of Citizens, NRC in Assam.

At a meeting with governors and chief ministers of the eight north-eastern states as part of the North Eastern Council in Guwahati, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday upheld the fact that Northeast was an important region for India’s growth. Shah also reviewed the situation in the state in the wake of the publication of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC).

With the NRC report excluding 19 lakh people of 3.11 crore, Shah states that there will be no foreigners in the NRC report. He also said that the name of any genuine citizen would not be excluded from the NRC.

Slating an unprecedented decision to scrap out Article 370, India made a historic move. Dispelling fears that the special status of the north-eastern states would be scrapped, following the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, last month, Shah said that Article 371 of the Indian Constitution is a special provision and the BJP government respects Article 371 and will not alter it in any way.

Further adding he said, “All of northeast is extremely important to the development of India, but the eastern states, whether it is West Bengal or Bihar, have been left out of the vision of development and it will be our priority to develop these areas if we come to power,” Shah said, setting the tone for the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign in West Bengal in 2021.

Shah added, “In a democracy, the people put forth their desire for development in a state... and PM Modi does not see these states as different entities but as one unit that will take forward the story of India's development.”

Shah also added that while the northeast had been coping with issues of security and terrorism for many years, but "today northeast is known for connectivity, development and investment and job opportunities".