By Mayukh Goswami (PNI)

Mangaldai : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday asserted that the  Citizenship Amendment Bill -2016 is not going to create any threat to the language , culture and indigenous people of the State . Some people have been creating confusion among the people . “ This bill is not a new one . It has been proposed by several leaders of the country including Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel and  Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru far away back . This bill is prepared under the national rules and so it is the responsibility of the Central Government and the State Government is no way responsible for it . There is no cause of panic for the indigenous people of the State and its language and culture . Some people are creating confusion among the people . We have no political agenda behind it . Whatever we do , we do it in a transparent way.”, Sonowal reiterated . He was speaking on the occasion of the Shilpi Divas celebration of the Director of Cultural Affairs at District Library auditorium , Mangaldai in the late afternoon. He observed that it is more important for the public organizations of the State like AASU to cooperate with the government in the process of constitutional safe guard for the people of the State . “ I appealed to AASU and the AGP to come forward and cooperate with the government in the process of constitutional safe  guards for our people which have enjoying by our neighbouring States like Mizoram .”, Sonowal maintained. Earlier he presented Shilpi Divas for the year 2019 to the two distinguished artistes , music composer , lyricists of the State Jagya Bezbaruah and Prashanta Bordoloi in presence of several prominent guests including his Press Adviser Hrishikesh Goswami , Legislators of Sipajhar and Kalaigaon constituencies Binanda Kr Saikia and Maheswar Boro , senior officials of the State Cultural Affairs Department including its Commissioner Secretary Preetam Saikia , Director Barnali Sarma besides Deputy Commissioner , Darrang Ashok Kr Barman among others . The Chief Minister and other guests paid deep tribute to Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala by lightening the lamp before his portrait . Prior to the function Chief Minister arrived at Mangaldai in a chopper and also left by air in the evening .

Meanwhile just before the function a section of  members of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Darrang district Committee  staged protest  against the visit of the Chief Minister to the district by displaying black flags near their district office at  near Santan Dharma Sabha , Mangaldai , while a section of members of the Brihattar Asomiya Yuva Mancha demonstrated half nude protest near the Mangaldai Municipal Board office . Police arrested few protesters for violation of the prevailing CrPC 144 and they were later released .