Naga Students' Federation has called for a 6-hour shutdown Saturday in Nagaland to protest against the newly-enacted citizenship law. Meanwhile, curfew has been relaxed today in Assam's Guwahati and Meghalaya's Shillong after improved conditions, PTI reported.
Violent protests broke out in the North-East states and spread to West Bengal, Delhi and parts of south India, Friday, with police resorting to lathicharge and tear gas shells to contain protesters. While two people were killed in Assam, at least 25 students were injured in protests outside Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University. The university has postponed the exams scheduled for today.
In its first remarks on the issue, the Trump administration urged India to “protect the rights of its religious minorities” in keeping with its “Constitution and democratic values”. The US and the UK have also issued travel advisories asking their citizens to "exercise caution" while visiting the North-East in the wake of the protests. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, meanwhile, said they are “concerned” that the law is “fundamentally discriminatory in nature” and appear to “undermine the commitment to equality”
The Citizenship law will grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains and Parsis who entered the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan until December 31, 2014. It leaves out Muslims.
The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday and in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Late on Thursday, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Bill even as violent protests erupted in Assam. Curfew has been imposed at several places in Assam, while the Army has carried out flag marches in many districts to control protests and violence.
The protests also spilt over to neighbouring Meghalaya after vehicles were vandalised and set ablaze in Police Bazaar and Iew Duh areas, resulting in the imposition of curfew in all neighbourhoods that include areas under Sadar PS and Lumdiengjri PS. Northeastern states fear the law will lead to legitimizing of immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh and change the demographics of the region.
Amid the shutdown in North-East, Home Minister Amit Shah has cancelled his visit to Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was scheduled to hold an annual bilateral summit meeting with PM Narendra Modi in Guwahati, has deferred his visit. Bangladesh also protested after the convoy of its envoy was attacked, and two signposts of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission were vandalised. Bangladesh's Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan have also cancelled their visit to India
About a dozen petitioners, including Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), moved the Supreme Court questioning the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019
Amid the heavy protests, a source in the government had admitted that there could have been an error of judgment in weighing the possibilities of violent protests on the streets against the Bill. “There could have been an error of judgment (about the responses). We must have made a mistake in assessing the situation. Or there could be a communication gap,” said a source. Another BPJ source said, “This scale of violent response was not anticipated.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to Assam, and assured people that their identity and culture would be protected. He also accused the Congress and its allies of spreading confusion over the Bill’s provisions and fanning the flames in the North-East. Taking to Twitter, Modi posted: “I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of #CAB. I want to assure them — no one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow.”
Tripura royal scion and chairperson of the Joint Movement Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (JMACAB) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the new citizenship law.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, Pradyot Kishore Debbarma Saturday said, “Tripura has suffered enough. We don’t want this state to go through this burden. I am a Hindu. We love our Hindus. Tripura is an example of giving shelter to the persecuted Hindu minority. But the time has come for the rest of the country to take the load and not Tripura.” Click here to read more.
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Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal also alleged that misinformation like more than one crore people will enter Assam under the Act are being spread to create confusion among the people.
"I appeal to all of you not to get convinced in this fake information. Those involved in inciting violence through the spread of misinformation do not want peace and development of the society. They are harmful elements. All peaceful people should unite against such anti-social elements," he said.
The state government has no problem with peaceful protests, Sonowal said adding that anti-social elements destroying public properties and threatening people will be punished.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Saturday said that "very negligible" number of people will be benefited by the amended Citizenship Act. He also said that the exact number of those people will be disclosed at an appropriate time and urged people to maintain peace.
"The number of people who will apply (for citizenship under the amended Act) will be very negligible. We are running the government and we have the data. At an appropriate time, you will be able to know all these clearly," Sonowal was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Accusing Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators for being behind the ongoing mayhem and arson in several parts of West Bengal, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha Saturday said the party will seek the imposition of President's Rule in the state if the situation continues.
Sinha blamed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her "appeasement policies", which, he claimed, has led to the current situation in West Bengal. (PTI)
Joint CSIR-UGC NET exam for candidates from Assam and Meghalaya has been postponed in the wake of unrest in the region.
South Central Railways cancelled trains in view of tension brewing in Bengal.
Curfew was lifted from 6 am to 4 pm in Guwahati. The day saw a considerable rush at petrol pumps. The major petrol pumps at GS Road, Chandmari, Zoo Road, Beltola were open throughout the day.
“We came twice in the morning to fill petrol — but it was such a long queue, so we had to come back twice. Finally got it at 4pm,” said R Alom, a resident from Hatigaon.
Amid protests in the Northeast over the amended Citizenship Act, the Army on Saturday advised people to not fall prey to "fake news" directed against the force.
The Army posted a collage of screenshots of social media accounts, accusing them of spreading misinformation against the force by accusing it of carrying out atrocities. (PTI)
Scores of people gathered at Jantar Mantar here on Saturday to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. People from all walks of life came out in solidarity with those opposing the new law. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has closed entry and exit gates at Janpath metro station in view of the protest. (PTI)
Major protests in Assam and some other parts of the northeast against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act have taken many in the BJP by surprise but they believe that the gains for the party will be more than any loss from implementing the contentious law. (PTI)
Assam govt employees' association announces cease work on Dec 18 to protest against amended Citizenship Act.
Angry protesters torched around 15 buses, both public and private, and blocked traffic on the arterial Kona Expressway in Howrah that connect both NH6 (Mumbai Road) and NH2 (Delhi Road) to Kolkata, the police said.
The National Highway 34, one of the main roads that connect north and south Bengal, was blocked in Murshidabad. Buses were also set on fire there, the police said.
In Howrah district's Domjur area, the National Highway 6 was blocked as protesters set tyres ablaze and ransacked several vehicles, the police said. (PTI)
The BCCI and Assam Cricket Association (ACA) will be "closely monitoring" the security situation in Guwahati in the wake of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, keeping in mind the January 5 T20 International between India and Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka are coming to India for a short three-match T20 International series, which starts at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, but the prevailing security situation has cast a shadow of doubt.
"Right now, we cannot comment on whether the T20 International in Guwahati will happen or not. All the authorities (state Police, Home Ministry) will be monitoring the situation. We have to wait for some time. There is still three weeks to go so we have to be hopeful," Assam CA vice-president Parikshit Dutta told PTI. (PTI)
The ongoing violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act in several parts of West Bengal will only help the BJP, West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim said on Saturday.
Hakim, the urban development minister said that such violent protests will not help the state but will only strengthen the hands of the BJP. 'It is our duty as citizens of the country to protect the Indian Constitution and not to indulge in lawlessness,' he added. (PTI)
Road and rail blockades continued in different parts of West Bengal on Saturday by people protesting against the amended Citizenship Act, officials said. Incidents of violence were reported from Murshidabad and North 24 Paraganas districts, and rural Howrah, police said. (PTI)
“Suffering injustice is the biggest crime, it’s time to rise to save democracy and Constitution,” she added. Accusing the BJP of violating the Constitution every day, Sonia said, “An atmosphere of “andher nagri chaupat raja” in the country, entire nation asking where is “sabka sath sabka vikas.”
Addressing the Congress’ mega “Bharat Bachao Rally” (Save India Rally) at Ramlila grounds here, Congress president Sonia Gandhi assured justice to all who will be affected by the Citizenship Act implemented by the BJP government. “CAB, which the BJP government has brought in, will destroy the country as it has in the northeast. But I guarantee whoever will get injustice, Congress will stand with them,” she said.
Tough security measures continued at Aligarh Muslim University on Saturday as a precautionary measure amid student protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Heavy police patrolling is underway at the university circle and other entry points of the AMU campus as a precautionary measure, police said. (PTI)
Railways is running special trains from Guwahati to help stranded passengers in Assam, where protests are underway against the Citizenship Amendment Act, officials said on Saturday.
One such train was operated on Friday to Dimapur. Another was run to Furkating, the main railway junction in Assam's Golaghat district on Saturday and another to Dibrugarh. A special passenger train from Guwahati to Dimapur will run at 2:30 pm from Guwahati tonight, they said. (PTI)
"Do not take up law in your hand. Do not put up road blockades and rail blockades and create trouble for the common people on the roads," Mamata Banerjee said in a statement released from the West Bengal chief minister's office.
"Do not cause damage to government properties. Strict action would be taken against those who are found guilty in creating disturbances," the statement quoted her as saying. (PTI)
Tough security measures continued at Aligarh Muslim University on Saturday as a precautionary measure amid student protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Heavy police patrolling is underway at the university circle and other entry points of the AMU campus as a precautionary measure, police said. (PTI)
Tea growers in Assam have started feeling the pinch of the ongoing protests with partial disruption in production at many gardens and sale of the crop at the Guwahati auction centre being hampered, industry insiders said on Saturday.
"Though winter months are not the peak season, plucking and manufacturing operations in many gardens across the state have been affected amid widespread protest," North Eastern Tea Association adviser Bidyananda Barkakoty told PTI. (PTI)
The Jamia Millia Islamia on Saturday declared vacation till January 5 and cancelled all exams in view of the tense situation in the university due to students' protest against the amended citizenship act.
"All exams postponed. New dates to be announced in due course of time. Vacation declared from December 16 to January 5. University will reopen on January 6, 2020," a senior university official said. (PTI)
Several countries, including the US, UK, Israel Canada and Singapore, have asked their citizens to exercise caution while travelling to the Northeast India which has witnessed violent protests against the amended citizenship act.
The new amended citizenship law, which provides for granting citizenship to non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, has put the Northeast on the boil, where people fear that it may exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration. (PTI)
"I assure (the people of) Assam and (other) northeastern states that their culture, social identity, language and political rights will be untouched and the Narendra Modi government will protect them," he said.
Shah said Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has met him over the issue. "I assured him (Sangma) of constructively discussing the issues to find a solution," Shah added. (PTI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday hit out at the Congress, accusing it of stoking violence against the amended Citizenship Act. Shah, addressing an election rally here, said that the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has caused a "stomach ache" to the opposition party.
"We have brought the amended Citizenship Act and the Congress got a stomach ache and is fanning violence against it," he said. The BJP president also assured the people of the Northeast that their culture, language, social identity and political rights will be not be affected. (PTI)
In Assam, three Autonomous Districts are exempted but the new law remains applicable to the major area. This also raises the question: can there be two citizenship laws applicable to the same state?
Under Clause 5.8 of the Assam Accord, “Foreigners who came to Assam on or after March 25, 1971 shall continue to be detected, deleted and practical steps shall be taken to expel such foreigners.”
The non-BJP ruling parties in these states are making a political point. Citizenship, aliens and naturalisation are subjects listed in List 1 of the Seventh Schedule and fall exclusively under the domain of Parliament.
Most states of the Northeast are, however, wholly or partially exempted under special provisions for tribal areas, such as Inner Line Permit (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and now extended to Manipur) and the Sixth Schedule with special provisions in practically all of Meghalaya, and a large chunk of Tripura.
Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said the citizens must refuse to divulge any personal information to the authorities as a protest against Citizenship Amendment Act. "The most suitable reply of the people of India to CAA and NRC should be not to cooperate with the govt and refuse to share any personal or family information with the authorities. Let them declare all of us as non-citizens," he tweeted
On the face of it, the amendment is not to exclude any Indian citizen. However, the NRC in Assam and the latest citizenship law cannot be decoupled. The final NRC left out over 19 lakh people. The new law gives a fresh chance to the Bengali Hindus left out to acquire citizenship, whereas the same benefit will not be available to a Muslim left out, who will have to fight a legal battle.
Shah and BJP leaders have maintained that the NRC process in Assam will be replicated in the rest of the country, fuelling fears among Indian Muslims. Plugged with NRC, the new amendment becomes an enabling law to potentially disenfranchise an individual of a religion not mentioned in the amendment.
Politically, the law is expected to impact West Bengal and Northeastern states. Assam and West Bengal head for polls in 2021.
In Rajya Sabha, the Home Minister relied on news reports as evidence of religious persecution against Hindus in Pakistan, ranging from forced conversion to demolition of temples. Notable examples were Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian convicted of blasphemy who spent eight years on death row before being acquitted by the Pakistan Supreme Court.
In Bangladesh, cases of killings of atheists by Islamic militants are well-documented. While Shah claimed that persecution has been rampant since the death Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, Bangladesh’s present Foreign Affairs Minister A K Abdul Momen has denied any religious persecution.
Although Shah referred to non-Muslim religions as persecuted minorities, the law avoids using the word persecution in its text.
Home Minister Amit Shah referred to the amendment as bringing relief to “lakhs and crores of non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan”. As of December 31, 2014, the government had identified 2,89,394 “stateless persons in India”, according to data presented in Parliament by the Home Ministry in 2016. The majority were from Bangladesh (1,03,817) and Sri Lanka (1,02,467), followed by Tibet (58,155), Myanmar (12,434), Pakistan (8,799) and Afghanistan (3,469). The figures are for stateless persons of all religions.
For those who came after December 31, 2014, the regular route of seeking refuge in India will apply. If they are regarded as illegal immigrants, they cannot apply for citizenship through naturalisation, irrespective fo religion.
Suspension of internet services across Assam extended to December 16, news agency PTI reported, quoting officials. On Wednesday evening, the Guwahati administration declared an indefinite curfew and suspended mobile internet. On Thursday, as protests continued in Assam, broadband services were also snapped.
Suspension of internet services have been extended for another 48 hours keeping in view the prevailing law and order situation in the state, additional chief secretary (home and political department) Sanjay Krishna told PTI.
In Assam, what is primarily driving the protests is not who are excluded from the ambit of the new law, but how many are included. The protesters are worried about the prospect of the arrival of more migrants, irrespective of religion, in a state whose demography and politics have been defined by migration. The Assam Movement (1979-85) was built around migration from Bangladesh, which many Assamese fear will lead to their culture and language being ovetaken, besides putting pressure on land resources and job opportunities.
The protesters’ argument is that the new law violates the Assam Accord of 1985, which sets March 24, 1971 as the cutoff for Indian citizenship. This is also the cut-off for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, whose final version was published this year. Under the new law, the cutoff is December 31, 2014, for Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists and Jains from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It has become controversial largely because it excludes Muslims.
Several people in Punjab's Ludhiana took out a rally against Citizenship Amendment Bill on Saturday. (Express photos by Gurmeet Singh)
The Assamese 'gamosa' and the salutation 'Joi Aai Asom' along with the cry 'Ho!Ho!' has become the symbol of the protests raging the state against the amended Citizenship Act. The 'gamosa', a white and red patterned cotton handwoven fabric, is traditionally offered to elders and guests as mark of respect and honour by Assamese people. It is being used by the protestors to assert their identity, which they claim has been threatened by the Act. (PTI)
Internet remains suspended in 10 districts of Assam. Violent protests and street arson seemed to be simmering down in Assam on Friday with the administration claiming that no major incidents of violence were reported in Guwahati, and agitation leaders announcing that the protests will be held only during the day.
Meanwhile, three policemen and at least 63 protesters were injured in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong on Friday after thousands of protesters attempted to storm into the Governor’s House as police resorted to lathicharge and tear gas shelling to disburse the crowd, a senior police officer said.
The Assamese artist community of Mumbai along with other Assamese citizens are protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Bill at Azad Maidan today. The protests will be addressed by Joi Barua, Jahnu Baruah, Dhrubajyoti Phukan, Ambar Das, Shashwati Phukan, Saumar Sharma, Roopa Barua, among others. (Express photo/Nirmal Harindran)
Sam Stafford was among the two killed in police firing during protests against Citizenship Amendment Bill in Assam. “I don’t think he even knew the full meaning of the citizenship law, he just went to protest because everyone was doing so. He also went to see Zubeen Garg,” says his cousin. "We voted for them. We thought they would do something. But what they did was they killed our brother, who had no evil intentions," he added.
His friends say they didn’t discuss the citizenship law much, until the protests began. “But, as Assamese boys, we were worried about the future of Assam. We never wanted illegal Bangladeshis to take over,” says Hoque. While The Indian Express was unable to access Sam’s post mortem report, eyewitnesses said he was shot point blank in the face. Read more
Road and rail blockades continued in different parts of West Bengal on Saturday by people protesting against the amended Citizenship Act. Incidents of violence were reported from Murshidabad and North 24 Paraganas districts, and rural Howrah, police said. The National Highway 34, one of the arterial roads that connect north and south Bengal, was blocked in Murshidabad. Several other roads in the district were also blocked, they said.
In Howarh district's Domjur area, the National Highway 6 was blocked as protester set tyres ablaze and ransacked several vehicles, the police said. Train movements were also blocked in the Sealdah-Hasnabad section of the Eastern Railway.
Curfew, imposed in Meghalaya's Shillong amid protests against amended Citizenship Act, relaxed from 10 am to 7 pm due to improved situation. Offices and a few shops have opened in the state capital, said East Khasi Hills district deputy commissioner M W Nongbri. She said traffic has been normal since morning in the city and there was no report of any untoward incident in the past 12 hours. (PTI)
All the semester exams scheduled today at Jamia University have been postponed. The students had announced a boycott as part of what they are calling a “university lockdown" in the ongoing Citizenship Amendment Bill protests.
Congress leaders led by party chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh will participate in the 'Bharat Bachao' rally at Ramlila grounds on Saturday to highlight the "divisive and disruptive" policies of the BJP government. Rahul Gandhi and other top leaders will highlight the "failures" of the Modi government and its alleged attempt to divide the country and its people during the rally.
The party is expected to corner government on a range of issues, including the state of the economy, the amended Citizenship Act, crime against women in India and farmers' distress.
Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal has given a call for a Bihar bandh on December 21 in protest against the amended Citizenship Act, alleging that it has blown the Constitution to smithereens. "The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is a black legislation that has blown the Constitution to smithereens. We appeal to all secular parties, non-political outfits and common citizens who have faith in the Constitution and the principle of justice to wholeheartedly support the bandh and help us make it a success," Tejashwi Yadav tweeted
Amid the protests in North-East, Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy stirred a row after he said those who do not want 'divisive democracy' should go to North Korea. 'Two things should never be lost sight of in the present atmosphere of controversy. 1. The country was once divided in the name of religion. 2. A democracy is NECESSARILY DIVISIVE. If you don't want it go to North Korea,' he wrote on Twitter.
His tweet came hours before protesters reached the entrance of the Raj Bhavan, tried to breach security following which they were lathi-charged and tear-gassed leaving several of them seriously injured. Two police personnel were also injured in the melee. The protesters were demanding the Governor to give his assent to the proposed ordinance that seeks mandatory registration of outsiders entering the state and at the same time for the Centre to implement the Inner Line Permit in the state.
In New York, a spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said the UN is “closely analysing the possible consequences” of the amended law. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, meanwhile, said they are “concerned” that India’s new Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 is “fundamentally discriminatory in nature” and appear to “undermine the commitment to equality”.
In Geneva, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern that the new law “does not extend… protection to Muslims, including minority sects”. The spokesperson said: “The amended law would appear to undermine the commitment to equality before the law enshrined in India’s constitution and India’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, to which India is a State party, which prohibit discrimination based on racial, ethnic or religious grounds. Although India’s broader naturalization laws remain in place, these amendments will have a discriminatory effect on people’s access to nationality.”
The US and the UK also issued travel advisories asking their citizens to “exercise caution” while visiting the North-East in the wake of the protests. “The US government has temporarily suspended official travel to Assam,” the US advisory said. The UK advisory asked travellers to “monitor local media” and “follow instructions of the local authorities”.
Schools and colleges were closed, markets were shut and vehicles remained largely off roads in parts of Nagaland on Saturday amid a six-hour shutdown call given by the Naga Students' Federation (NSF), protesting against the amended Citizenship Act, officials said.
State capital Kohima also wore a deserted look with most of the commercial establishments not opening due to the shutdown. NSF vice president Dievi Yano condemned the amended Citizenship Act, saying it did not take into account the sentiments of the indigenous people of the Northeast. "The NSF totally resents the injustice done by the central government and we will never support the amended Citizenship Act, which is the latest weapon of the Centre to divide the Northeastern people on concessional lines," he said. (PTI)
In a strongly worded statement on the new citizenship law (CAB) — its first on the issue — the Trump administration Friday urged India to “protect the rights of its religious minorities” in keeping with its “Constitution and democratic values”. “We are closely following developments regarding the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law are fundamental principles of our two democracies,” said the US statement. “The US urges India to protect the rights of its religious minorities in keeping with India’s Constitution and democratic values,” it said.
Students of Jamia Millia Islamia plan to boycott exams on Saturday, as part of what they are calling a “university lockdown.” Students from the engineering faculty at the university, who were appearing for an examination between 2 pm and 5 pm Friday claimed teargas has entered their classroom. Saif Ullah Khan, 21, a BTech student, said, “We were tearing up. Plus it was so loud outside that we couldn’t focus.” A faculty member also claimed teargas had entered the campus.
The faculty was also holding viva examinations for another batch of students, many of whom couldn’t make it to the venue on time because of the violence and barricading outside.
Hours before the protest march by students from Jamia Millia Islamia to the Parliament, police officers of the South-East district were directed by seniors from Delhi Police Headquarters not to use force and to restrain protesters in the area around the campus. But the law and order situation got out of hand when, instead of stopping protesters a few metres from the university, police stopped them just outside the university gate. A senior police officer said this may have been a miscalculation by the local district police
At least 42 students were detained and over 25 injured Friday after Delhi Police fired tear gas shells and resorted to lathi-charge during the protest. Read more
The CAB, and the National Register of Citizens process before it, have stoked tensions that had flared in the region, especially in Assam, in the 1970s and ‘80s. The fear of demographic change has been the trigger for subnationalist movements. The onus is now on the Modi government to reach out to the restive groups and take the necessary steps to address and alleviate their fears. Electoral exigencies and ideological shibboleths cannot be the decisive factors in shaping the policy for the Northeast. Its repercussions will reflect in India’s relations with its neighbours apart from shaping domestic politics. Read more
The newly passed amendment to the Citizenship Act redefines the way migrants from three countries can become Indian citizens, linking this to their religion. What are the concerns about it nationwide, and why has it faced such fierce resistance in Assam? How does it relate to government’s plans for an all-India NRC?
Amid the clashes with the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University, three police officers were also injured. According to the hospital administration, 25 patients had been discharged by Friday evening, while four are still undergoing treatment. One student, Mohd Fahad, has been referred to AIIMS by the hospital. Three patients with head injuries have been admitted to the neurosurgery department and one with a hand injury is at the orthopedics ward. Among those in the neurosurgery ward was a policeman injured in the protest.
Artiste community of Assam, led by Zubeen Garg, is organising a massive protest at 11 am on Sunday at Assam Engineering Field Chandmari. Garg has appealed to the citizens to protest only during the day, and not after 5 pm.
The curfew, imposed in Guwahati amid protests against the amended Citizenship Act, was relaxed on Saturday from 9 am to 4pm, police said. Schools and offices, however, remained shut. Long queues were seen outside shops at several places, including Dispur, Uzan Bazar, Chandmari, Silpukhuri and Zoo Road. Auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws were plying across the city. However, buses were off roads. (PTI)
Assam voted the BJP to office with high hopes, convinced that here was a government that meant business. However, as the days passed, those hopes began to give way to resignation, with the people, once again, realising that promises are made to be broken. People believed that Sarbananda Sonowal, the chief minister of Assam, would not let something like the CAB happen. Nobody, not least the BJP, had any inkling of the enormity of the public outrage and anger that erupted once the CAB was passed. One thing is certain — even Sonowal will have a tough time assuaging the hard feelings of the Assamese who so naively and unquestioningly put their faith in their jatiyo nayok, Sorba-da to many youth of the state. Read more
With five chief ministers from Opposition parties saying that the citizenship law would have “no place” in their respective states, top sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs Friday said that states have no powers to reject the implementation of the new law. Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have indicated that the new law will have no place in their respective states.
“The new legislation has been enacted under the Union List of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution, so it is a subject on which states have no power,” said a top MHA source. Read more
The Naga Students' Federation (NSF) has called a 6-hour bandh on Saturday to protest against the amended Citizenship Act. The bandh began at 6 am and students appearing for the examination, healthcare professionals on duty, media personnel and marriage parties, provided the wedding card is produced, will be exempted.
"The bandh has been called to express the resentment of the Naga people against the passing of the contentious CAB in the Parliament, much against the interests and the sentiments of the Indigenous people in the North-East states," the statement said. The NSF directed all its federating units and subordinate bodies in Manipur, Assam and Nagaland to take up all necessary measures to ensure that the total bandh is carried out successfully in their respective jurisdictions.
Amid protests in Assam, the convoy of Bangladesh’s Assistant High Commissioner in Guwahati — a mid-level diplomat — was reportedly attacked, and two signposts of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission were vandalised. Protesting against these incidents, Bangladesh’s Acting Foreign Secretary Kamrul Ahsan, in a rare move, summoned Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das at the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry on Thursday evening and requested extra security for the mission.
Sources said the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh assured the authorities in Dhaka that New Delhi was being immediately alerted to enhance the security of the chancery and residential premises of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner in Guwahati. Read more