GUWAHATI: Former chief minister and one of the signatories of the Assam Accord, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta , and others who were a part of the Assam Agitation movement, have appealed to everyone to join the protest rally against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.The veterans of the movement to safeguard the state's indigenous demography will take out a protest rally in the city against the proposed amendment on May 30.Addressing a press conference, Mahanta said, "We have been opposing the bill ever since it was proposed. It's time all of us fight it together. We have already invited Aasu (All Assam Students' Union) to join us and move against the bill."The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, endorses citizenship to non-Muslims from neighbouring countries who have come here till December 31 of 2014.Mahanta also alleged that some politicians are trying to add unnecessary political colour to the protests against the bill."Some political leaders are trying to add colour. The opposition is not against Bengali people. Even Manik Sarkar and Mamata Banerjee have opposed the bill. We are not against Bengali people and we don't want to bring religious lines in identifying illegal citizens," said Mahanta.Former AGP MP Kumar Deepak Das said they will take out a protest rally on May 30 in the city towards Raj Bhawan."We have appealed to all citizens to join us in the rally. We must give a strong voice against the bill," said Das.Assam Andolan Sangrami Mancha (AASM), a platform of Assam Agitation veterans, of which Mahanta and Das are also part, vowed to go to national capital New Delhi to build consensus among all political parties before the July session in the Parliament. "Before the July Parliament session, we will meet representatives of all political parties and try to ensure that the bill is not passed," said Das.

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