Assam CM arrives in Delhi to attend meet on CAB; black flags waved at his convoy

As Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday to attend a meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the All Assam Students Union held in New Delhi on the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, his convoy was shown black flags by a group of men, reportedly, protesting against the Bill.

New Delhi:Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal's convoy on Tuesday was shown black flags as he arrived in New Delhi to attend a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah with several politicians and activists of Northeast states including the chief ministers of Manipur, Nagaland, and Assam on the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Apart from the Chief Ministers of the three states, the activists of North-East Forum for Indigenous People (NEFIP), Manipur People Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (MANPAC), and members of the civil society were also present in the meeting at Assam Bhavan in the national capital.

Around three men, who were supposedly protesting the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill proposed by the central government, were arrested by the police standing guard at the Assam Bhawan in the national capital which was chosen as the venue for the meeting.

Meanwhile, representatives of the All Assam Students Union, an organisation which has been vehemently opposing the Bill, have confirmed that they conveyed their disagreement on the Bill to Amit Shah, and have threatened to launch fresh agitation.

"We will launch a fresh agitation," said AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya.

The central government has been reiterating its decision to get the controversial Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha and therefore implement it to grant citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

The Centre's move has been met with widespread protests across the Northeast, particularly Assam, as the region views the Bill discriminatory on religious grounds thereby negating the Assam Accord.