Citizenship Amendment Bill protests LIVE Updates:
As tens of thousands of anti-CAB protesters descended on the streets of Assam on Wednesday, the Assam government was caught in wrong foot, just a day after officials maintained that they were in control of the situation while alleging that the agitation was largely fuelled by misinformation.
Meanwhile, the Central government has issued an advisory to private TV channels against showing content that “can encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order” or “promotes anti-national attitudes” or anything that can affect the “integrity of the nation”.
Government sources said 50 companies (5,000 personnel) of Central Armed Police Forces from J&K have been rushed to North-East states, particularly Assam. Sources said the forces were pulled out of J&K where the situation following the abrogation of Article 370 is “not expected to deteriorate” with the winter setting in.
The CAB, which is a contentious issue in North-East India with influential socio-political groups and political parties holding it as a threat to the interests of the indigenous communities of the region was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after a division which saw 125 vote in favour and 99 against.
President Ram Nath Kovind gives assent to the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill, PTI reported.
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Assamese superstar Jatin Bora, who is also chairman of the state's film finance development corporation, resigned from the BJP on Thursday in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Bora announced his decision at an AASU-sponsored meeting at Latasil field here to oppose the Bill in the presence of thousands of protestors which included artistes like Bollywood singer Zubeen Garg. Bora said he has also resigned as chief of the film body. "I don't accept CAB. My identity of Jatin Bora is because of the people of Assam and I am with them on this issue," he said. (PTI)
Assam Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami on Thursday said doubts expressed over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill are not baseless, and there is a strong possibility of it creating division if implemented. In a statement, Goswami appealed to the Central government to take necessary steps to redress the anger and grievances of the people of Assam. "After the passage of the bill by the Rajya Sabha yesterday, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has become an act. Though I should not comment on the Act as I am discharging Constitutional duties as Speaker, but as a person working for the nation and community through the Assam agitation, I feel that the doubt created by this act is not baseless," he said. "There is a strong possibility of creating division among different castes, communities and languages if this act is implemented," he added. (PTI)
In Guwahati, where an indefinite curfew was imposed, the administration has snapped broadband internet services as anti-Citizenship Amendment Bill protests in Assam intensify. This effectively means that there is no internet connectivity in Guwahati as mobile internet services were already suspended in the city.
BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Thursday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Bill and said if the TMC government does not implement it, the Centre will. Stressing that the legislation should not be confused with the NRC exercise in Assam, he said the bill was meant to protect minorities facing of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and the citizens' register to weed out infiltrators. "Mamata Banerjee has been opposing the bill. The TMC should come out clean why they are opposing Hindu refugees from getting citizenship. I dare TMC government not to implement it and deprive the Hindu refugees from getting citizenship." "If TMC does not implement CAB, the Centre will take steps to do it," he said. (PTI)
Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Thursday canceled his visit to India in the wake of the Citizenship Bill protests in Assam. Khan was scheduled to arrive in Shillong on Friday on a three-day trip, primarily to attend an event relating to Bangladesh's freedom struggle, but he canceled the visit.
As Assam reeled under violent protests over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, there was no clarity on whether the government will go ahead with the India-Japan annual summit in Guwahati from December 15-17 as planned. "We don't have any update to share," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a weekly media briefing while replying to a volley of questions on the issue. Last week, Kumar announced that the summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe will take place between December 15 and 17. Though the government has not announced the venue for the summit, preparations were underway to host it in Guwahati. (PTI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday met IPFT and Joint Movement Against CAB (JMACAB) delegations in New Delhi and assured them of solving their issues. JMACAB Convener Anthony Debbarma said that they have called off the strike.
Assam Handloom Minister Ranjit Dutta's house at Behali in Sonitpur was attacked on Thursday by protestors opposing the CAB, officials said. Crowds of protestors gathered before his house in large numbers and threw stones. However, the damage to the house was minimal as the police reached the spot on time and dispersed them, the officials added. (PTI)
RTI activist and peasant leader Akhil Gogoi was arrested on Thursday in Assam's Jorhat district as a preventive measure, officials said. A senior official of the Jorhat administration told PTI that Gogoi was taken into custody to avoid any "untoward incident" in the district, as well as other parts of the state by his supporters. Gogoi, the adviser of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), had earlier in the day staged a sit-in outside the Jorhat Deputy Commissioner's office. "There were around 3,000 people during the day. We did not arrest him then to avoid repercussions. After he left the scene, our teams went to arrest him. It is a preventive arrest," the official quoted above said. Gogoi was trying to evade arrest and the teams had to search for him for a while before taking him into custody from an advocate's residence, the official said. (PTI)
A group of protesters gathered at the India Gate in New Delhi protesting against the "divisive" Citizenship Amendment Bill which passed the Rajya Sabha hurdle on Wednesday. The protesters raised anti-BJP and anti-government slogans and asked the President not to sign the Bill into a law. The police appealed the playcard-carrying protesters to disperse but to no avail. Many protesters live-streamed the protest on Twitter and Facebook, while others turned on the flashlights of their mobile phones, lighting up the protest site. "Now, the decision will be made on the street. This Bill will perish before it is born. The people of India have time and again rejected such Bills. The government wants to bring it through a C-section surgery, but it will perish in the process," one of the protesters, Kapil Sharma, 45, said. (PTI)
A bus terminus of the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) in Dibrugarh was set ablaze by protestors on Thursday, officials said. A large number of people reached the ASTC terminus at the Chowkidingi area of the city and vandalised the complex and set it on fire, they said. Army and fire tenders were rushed and they doused the flames without much damage, a senior district official said. Senior officials of the district administration, including an additional deputy commissioner, are at the spot and monitoring the situation. (PTI)
Indefinite curfew imposed in Assam's Tezpur and Dhekiajuli towns; night curfew imposed in Jorhat, Golaghat, Tinsukia, Charaideo districts of Assam: News agency PTI quoting officials
Punjab will not implement the Citizenship Amendment Bill, says Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, and terms it as a direct assault on India’s secular character.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) planning series of protests against citizenship bill, will ask President to not give assent: Party chief K M Kader Mohideen.
The debate on the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) passed by Parliament on Wednesday (December 11) has repeatedly flagged the alleged violation of the Assam Accord by the new law. The Assam Accord was a Memorandum of Settlement signed by the Governments of India and Assam, and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) in New Delhi on August 15, 1985. Read more
Mobile Internet and messaging services withdrawn in Meghalaya for 48 hours: News agency PTI quoting senior state Home department official
The Meghalaya government on Thursday evening imposed indefinite curfew in several parts of Shillong. The areas where the curfew is imposed include Jaiaw, Mawkhar, Umsohsun, Riatsamthiah, Wahingdoh, Mission, Mawprem, Lumdiengjri, Lamavilla, Qualapatty, Wahthapbru, Sunny Hill, Cantonment, Boucher Road, Mawlong Hat, Police Bazar, Jail Road, Keating Road, and Polo.
Two protesters succumbed to bullet injuries in Guwahati amid heavy protests. Officials confirmed both of them were shot at, in two separate parts of the city.
Delhi University students burnt copies of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on Thursday as part of a protest against the proposed legislation which they dubbed as "unconstitutional" and "communal". The protest at the university's Art Faculty was called by various students' bodies, including the Left-backed All India Students' Association (AISA) and Students' Federation of India, and autonomous women students' collective Pinjra Tod, under the banner of Collective-DU. Other organisations and students from Assam also took part in the demonstration. The protesters described the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) as "illegal" and also took out a march in the university campus. "The CAB has been brought by the RSS-BJP to further the Sangh Parivar's agenda of a 'Hindu Rashtra'," Delhi University (DU) AISA secretary Madhurima Kunda said. "(Union Home Minister) Amit Shah is no one to tell us whether we are the citizens of this country. The country will not accept citizenship on religious grounds. We also condemn the state's repression of protests in Assam," she said. (PTI)
Assam Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta Thursday appealed to people agitating against the Citizenship Amendment Bill to exercise restraint and not to take the law into their hands. He also urged to the electronic media not to show provocative visuals or reports. He said that many "lumpen elements" and people with political connections are trying to foment disturbances in the state. "We do not have anything to say if the protests are democratic. But I am appealing to the people not to take the law into their hands to create disturbances," Mahanta told PTI. "The attacks (by the protestors) that are taking place are not good and there will be a problem if people take law and order into their hands," he added. (PTI)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Thursday said that the Citizenship Amendment Bill is a rejection of secularism. "Our democracy is in danger. With CAB, Sangh Parivar has used the majority they enjoy in the parliament to uproot the bedrock of Indian democracy & Constitution. It's a rejection of secularism. BJP has made it clear that their main political plank is communalism. We must resist," the chief minister tweeted.
As protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill continued across Assam, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Thursday appealed the people to maintain peace and assured them that their concerns would be addressed. “Whatever violent incidents took place during the course of these protests yesterday (Wednesday), Assam’s peaceful society has criticised in the strictest terms… People of Assam want peace,” Sonowal told reporters. Read more
Defying the indefinite curfew clamped in Guwahati, thousands of people converged at the Latasil Playground in the heart of the city on Thursday to take part in a protest meeting by All Assam Students Union (AASU)
The anti-Citizenship Amendment Bill protests intensify in Assam. Here are 10 things you need to know about the protests
In the protests in the Northeast against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), 2019, the outrage has been most intense, sustained, and widespread in Assam. Large parts of the other Northeastern states have been exempted from the ambit of the CAB, although there have been protests there too. On the other hand, the larger part of Assam is under CAB. Why is Assam unhappy with the Bill? Read here
Assam Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday said that the situation in the state is extremely disturbing and the protest in Guwahati was far worse than the last two days. 'Despite the curfew, the people of Guwahati have come out and opposed the curfew in their protest against the Bill. This gives us extreme concern because while we understand the outrage and sentiments of the people, we express concern over the level of any harm done to any public property or private property or any individual,' he said. He added that ministers are making provocative statements and undermining the credibility of the public protests saying that they are linked to a political party. 'Please understand these protests are not linked to any political party, not linked to any political organization. These are spontaneous public outbursts and now instead of adopting a conciliatory approach, the army is being sent, internet is being banned, and it has come to our notice that the government of India is sending a circular to channels discouraging them from showing what the real picture is in the North East and in Assam,' he added.
Abdur Rehman, Special Inspector General of Police, Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission, tendered his resignation to the state government on the day that the Parliament passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which he termed “divisive” and “unconstitutional”. “When I saw that the Parliament had approved the Bill, I felt it was very discriminatory and that by remaining in service, I will not be able to do much. I have written a book on the plight of the Muslim community and have seen that the attitude of the government is to consistently target a particular community. The resignation is in opposition to that,” Rehman said. Read more
Governor Jagdish Mukhi on Thursday appealed to the people to maintain peace in Assam. In a statement, Mukhi urged them to maintain restraint as they have always shown patience and political maturity in the past. "If the student community has any issues against the government they have every right to agitate but they should do it in a democratic and peaceful manner, without taking the law in their hands," he said. Mukhi said the approval of the Bill by Parliament has shown that the Centre is committed to taking remedial steps, including implementation of the Clause VI of the Assam Accord to safeguard the culture, ethos, language, along with other rights of the indigenous people. The governor further appealed that no citizen should damage public property in the interest and development of the state. (PTI)
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday said that the situation in the northeast is the same as that of Jammu and Kashmir. "Northeast is burning. It is a repeat of Jammu and Kashmir," he added. (PTI)
Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday sought to allay fears on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill passed by Parliament, saying it won't have an adverse effect on the state and asserted that implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord will usher a new hope of "political stability". Describing the bill as a "historic one", BJP's key strategist for the northeast said there will be no "long term political fallout" due to the legislation. "This bill will help various refugees who came because of religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh will get citizenship. Of course, there is some resentment in Assam but I am sure that this bill will not have an adverse effect," Sarma told PTI. "...implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord which promised by Home Minister Amit Shah will create a new hope of political stability in Assam. So I believe that there will be no long term political fallout," he said. (PTI)
As intense protests continued to roil Assam for the fourth consecutive day over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the people of Northeast, saying his government would safeguard their language, culture and identity “under all circumstances”. Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad, Modi said, “I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. I want to assure them – no one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow.” Read more
"Citizenship Bill is a step towards correcting historical wrong," says Utpal Parrikar, son of late Goa CM Manohar Parrikar. (PTI)
Stones were thrown at Assam Police chief Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta's convoy on Thursday when he was touring the city, ravaged by violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The cavalcade was on the Guwahati-Shillong Road near Christian Basti where it was attacked. Stones were thrown at several vehicles in the convoy that was on its way from the Secretariat. The convoy had to stop several times as the entire stretch was blocked by protesters who put up wooden structures and iron barricades. When the vehicles stopped in the Christian Basti area and security personnel were clearing the road, some protesters threw stones. No one was hurt and no damage occurred. (PTI)
Airlines on Thursday cancelled flights to various places in Assam in the wake of unrest in the state. IndiGo, Vistara, Air India, SpiceJet are among the carriers that have cancelled their flights, while GoAir and AirAsia India announced waiving date change fee. A few Guwahati and Dibrugarh-bound flights have been cancelled on Thursday, an IndiGo spokesperson said in a statement. "We are operating relief flights at capped fares for passengers who are currently at these locations," the statement said. In a tweet, full service carrier Vistara said it has cancelled flights "as per government advice due to current disturbances in Assam". "Flights UK725 (IXB-DIB) and UK726 (DIB-IXB) are cancelled for today. We are offering free change/ cancellation to Guwahati and Dibrugarh flights through Sunday, December 15," it said. An Air India spokesperson said that only its flights between Kolkata and Dibrugarh have been cancelled. "GoAir is offering waiver on date change fees/rescheduling of tickets for travel to and from Guwahati till Dec 13," the Mumbai-based budget carrier said in a statement on Thursday. (PTI)
Defying the indefinite curfew clamped in Guwahati, thousands of people converged at the Latasil Playground in the heart of the city on Thursday to take part in a protest meeting by All Assam Students Union (AASU), which is spearheading the agitation against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill. Eminent litterateurs, artistes, prominent citizens, lawyers, students and common people came from all parts of the city to participate in the meeting held also by Silpi Samaj (artistes forum) and took out a protest rally against the CAB. (PTI)
Nagaland issues travel advisory asking commuters travelling from Longeng via Assam to other parts of the state to avoid travelling via Assam till the situation improves.
Headquarters of the Asom Gana Parishad in the city's Ambari area was attacked on Thursday by people protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, police said. The protestors went inside the building, located on the Gopinath Bordoloi Road in the heart of the city, and smashed a few window panes and damaged the property, they said. Several vehicles, including those of the police, parked outside the building were also vandalised, they added. Officials said police then had to baton-charge the agitators. Several teargas shells were also lobbed. (PTI)
Several Columns of Assam Rifles has been deployed in Tripura
(Express Photos)
"There seems to be some confusion. We've explained that religious persecution is not happening under the present government. Migrants who have sought refuge in India from Bangladesh have faced persecution and abuse on religious grounds during the military rule and also during the previous government's in Bangladesh. We have also acknowledged and are aware that the present govt in Bangladesh has taken several steps to address the concerns of minorities living there as per their Constitutional provisions," Raveesh Kumar, MEA spokesperson on Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen's comment on Citizenship Bill.
Momen, on Wednesday, had said, "India is historically a tolerant country which believes in secularism (but) their… position will be weakened if they deviate from that." He added that Bangladesh and India enjoy close friendly relations, "termed as the golden chapter" of bilateral ties, and said, "so naturally, our people (Bangladeshis) expect that India won’t do anything that could create anxiety among them".
"13 flights have been cancelled at Guwahati Airport; 178 passengers who were stuck at Dibrugarh Airport were brought to Guwahati via an IndiGo flight," said Sanjeev Jindal, Regional Executive Director, Airports Authority Of India, Regional HQ, Guwahati.
BJP MLA Binod Hazarika's residence set ablaze in Assam's Chabua. Vehicles torched by anti-CAB protestors, circle office also burned down: Officials told news agency PTI.
Left parties to organise joint nationwide protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on December 19
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is a "divisive tool" that will damage the composite culture of the Northeast and must be immediately scrapped, two-time Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said. The Bill has been brought in to create a Hindu-Muslim divide, said the former student leader who spearheaded a six-year movement demanding deportation of illegal Bangladeshis in the late 1980s. The state will continue to "burn" if the Modi government does not realise the seriousness of the situation and respect the sentiments of the people, he said. "Every nook and corner in Assam is erupting in spontaneous protests against the black bill. The people of Assam are determined to defeat this divisive and unconstitutional tool called CAB. We will not relent till it is scrapped," Mahanta told PTI over phone from Guwahati. (PTI)
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that some sections of people are trying to spread misinformation about the Citizenship Bill, thus aggravating the protests.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal appeals to the people to maintain peace and tranquility. "I sincerely appeal to all sections of people of Assam to maintain peace & tranquility. It's our cultural, social&spiritual tradition. I've firm belief that people of Assam, as usual, will maintain peace for all time to come," he said.
In a major reshuffle, the Assam government on Thursday replaced the Guwahati Police commissioner and a senior officer responsible for law and order in the state, amid violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, officials said. City police chief Deepak Kumar was removed and Munna Prasad Gupta was appointed in his place, Commissioner and Secretary (Home and Political) Ashutosh Agnihotri told PTI. Gupta was earlier posted in the Special Protection Group. Additional director general of police (law and order) Mukesh Agarwal was transferred as ADGP (CID) and GP Singh was given his charge. Singh was earlier posted in New Delhi as inspector general of police at the National Investigation Agency. ADGP (CID) LR Bishnoi has also been transferred as ADGP (training and armed police), the officials said. ADGP SN Singh and deputy inspector general of police Anand Prakash Tiwari have also been brought in to supervise the law and order situation in the state, they said. (PTI)
Suspension of internet services in ten districts of Assam was extended for 48 hours on Thursday, beginning 12 pm, to prevent "misuse" of social media to disturb peace and tranquility, and to maintain law and order, officials said. Internet services will remain suspended in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup, Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Political department) Sanjay Krishna told PTI. Internet services were suspended at 7 pm on Wednesday amid massive protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. (PTI)
Bangladesh Foreign minister A K Abdul Momen cancels his visit to India from Dec 12 to 14.
Police open fire in Lalung Gaon area in Guwahati after stones hurled by protestors. Agitators claim at least four people injured in the shooting. (PTI)
Guwahati Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar removed amid CAB protests. Munna Prasad Gupta replaces him as the new city police chief: Officials
The CPI(M) on Thursday said the BJP has pushed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to extend its "communal agenda" of ensuring that Hindu migrants from Bangladesh living in Assam are given citizenship while seeking to exclude Muslim migrants from that country.
Stone pelting incidents were reported across Guhawati on Thursday. Passengers are also stranded in an airport as no cab service is available.
Addressing a rally in Jharkahnd, PM Modi said the Citizenship Amendment Bill will protect the culture and language of the North East. Attacking the Congress, PM Modi said the party is misleading the people of North East saying Bangla will replace the Assamese and that they will become a minority.
He said, "I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. I want to assure them – no one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow.”
In Dibrugarh, a BJP official said that protesters today tried to attack the office of the RSS in the district. The protesters burnt a few vehicles parked outside the office aiming to attack the RSS office. On Wednesday, a senior official also said that protesters pelted stones at Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s house and “have surrounded” the residence of MP and Union MoS Rameshwar Teli. The official said “10-12” protesting students received “minor injuries” during a confrontation with security personnel.
In wake of the violent protests in Assam, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday appeal to the people to maintain peace and not get misled. The BJP-led government in Assam and the state party unit have resorted to presenting data to claim that the number of non-Muslim migrants eligible for citizenship through provisions of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will be less and the move will not create any problem for the indigenous population.
Speaking at a meeting of the BJP’s Mandal and Zila unit presidents on Monday, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, “As of today, according to the data in our hand, it won’t be more than 5 lakh, it will be less than 5 lakh. In no way will our community, land, hearth, heritage, culture, existence be in danger.”
Trains towards North-East from Delhi will function normally but return from Guwahati itself. The North Frontier Railway has canceled three trains to Guwahati so far, adding that no long-distance train will go beyond Guwahati.
The Citizenship Amendment Bill uses a legal instrument to send an insidious political message: Religious identity will play a dominant role in assessing claims to citizenship. But where does politics go, after CAB? We look to the Supreme Court for a semblance of constitutional deliverance. We have no idea how a court will rule. But one of the lessons of our recent history is that we misunderstand how a Supreme Court functions in a democracy. The Supreme Court has badly let us down in recent times, through a combination of avoidance, mendacity, and a lack of zeal on behalf of political liberty, writes Pratap Bhanu Mehta
The people defied curfew in Guwahati on Thursday morning to protest against the Citizen (Amendment) Bill as the situation remained tense throughout Assam, with the Army conducting flag march in the city. See fresh visuals from Guwahati this morning.
Despite imposition of curfew in two places of Assam, students' body AASU and peasants organisation KMSS have asked people to step out of their homes at 11 am here on Thursday to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that was cleared in Parliament. "This fight against the bill will be very long. We urge people to come out and join the protest gathering at 11 am at Latashil field in Guwahati," All Assam Students' Union (AASU) chief said.