BJP takes out march, Himanta Sarma says not an ant illegally entered Assam after 2014

“It is being said that the BJP will bring foreigners. From where will the BJP bring foreigners? No foreigner’ [who came to India] after December 2014 will become Indian citizen [by the new law]…,” Sarma told the gathering.

He added that he was sure that after 2014, when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, “not even an ant” has dared to cross into Assam illegally.

Sarma lashed out against the Congress and held it responsible for illegal migration into Assam prior to 2014. “We had to bring in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act for the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian people who have come into Assam from 1972 to 2014. And during whose rule did they come in? During the Congress days and not the days of Sarbananda Sonowal and PM Narendra Modi. You let them come, and the Hindus you have allowed to come, how can we chase them away?”

Sarma added that Modi has taken steps to ensure the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh and argued that had Manmohan Singh and Rajiv Gandhi done the same, “this problem” would not have been created at all in Assam. “The whole problem has been created due to the weak leadership of the Congress…If the Congress had such strong policy, then no one would have had to leave their home and come to India,” he said.

Meanwhile, protests against the new citizenship law continued across the state, with people taking out cultural demonstrations, protest marches and rallies.

In Guwahati, artists, writers, poets, sculptors, singers and cultural personalities gathered at Latasil ground and presented pieces of art on themes related to protecting identities of the indigenous people of Assam and the ongoing movement against the new citizenship law.

Police crackdown continues

Assam police continued its crackdown on provocative posts on social media. On Wednesday, Assam police said on Twitter, “Following the CAA protests, 225 Social Media posts were found to be abusive & inflammatory, and in conflict with the law. A total of 31 cases have been registered across the state & 11 people arrested, while all others were counselled and let off.”

Meanwhile, police officials said that over 400 people have been arrested in total in connection with the violence that happen during the anti-CAA protests in Assam earlier this month.

Moreover, a circular of the elementary education department of the government of Assam to its district officers ordering disciplinary action against those employees who have been posting “political” posts on social media has emerged in local media.

The order dated December 24 signed by the director of the department is regarding “disciplinary action against those Govt employees including contractual employment etc have been indulging and participating in political activities in different social media forums like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media platforms by violating the provisions of Assam Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1964”.