CAA protest: Assam Sahitya Sabha to move SC against citizenship law

22:54 December 15

District Administration of Dibrugarh: Curfew has been relaxed between 6 am to 8 pm in the district tomorrow.

22:16 December 15

Assam Sahitya Sabha, the premier literary organisation of the state, said on Sunday that they move the Supreme Court for revocation of the amended
Citizenship Act.

The Sabha also demands the release of all arrested, including KMSS chief Akhil Gogoi, who were exercising their constitutional right of protesting, its president Parmananda Rajbongshi told a news agency.

19:46 December 15

Singer Zubeen Garg on Sunday led a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act here.

"This is not my voice but this is people's voice and I have seen it has started in West Bengal and also in Tripura. CAA is a bad thing for us and millions of our people are fighting against it. The government is made by the people and it is for the people so we can dissolve it," Zubeen told a news agency.

"I am not scared of anyone. My fight is for Assam and for my people. I am confident that the Supreme Court will give justice in this matter," he added.

18:45 December 15

Several artists in Assam on Sunday staged a protest against the amended Citizenship Act at the Assam Engineering Institute ground in Chandmari here.

The theme of the protest was 'NO CAA, Concert for Peace and Harmony'.

18:18 December 15

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Atul Bora on Sunday said that it is yet to be decided whether the party is going to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or not.

When asked by media if his party will file a petition against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Bora said: "We have not yet decided. We are discussing the issue. Some of our friends will go to Delhi."

16:56 December 15

Airports Authority of India in association with other organisations is providing food to stranded passengers at Guwahati Railway Station.

14:51 December 15

Curfew relaxed in parts of Shillong till 7 pm

14:38 December 15

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), an ally of ruling BJP, to file a petition in the Supreme Court for revocation of amended Citizenship Act: Party sources

14:38 December 15

All Assam Students Union, which has been protesting amended Citizenship Act, hints at launching political party along with 'Shilpi Samaj' (artists' forum)

14:31 December 15

Flight services to northeast normal

With the situation improving in Assam and other northeastern states which witnessed violent agitations last week over the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, all the 10 airports in the region were operational on Sunday, officials said.

The Airport Authority of India's (AAI) Regional Executive Director, Sanjeev Jindal said: "We are working in all the airports of the northeastern region on Sunday and some were also open for passengers overnight on Saturday. Even if there is no flight, we are allowing the passengers to use guesthouses, lounges, water, heating and are trying to provide food as well."

He said that till Saturday, the Dibrugarh Airport in Assam was not operational due to the unavailability of adequate private and public transport services. But on Sunday, it functioned normally and all the nine scheduled flights were being operated.

Jindal said that other airports in Guwahati, Silchar, Jorhat, Teju, Tezpur (all in Assam), Agartala (Tripura), Imphal (Manipur), Dimapur (Nagaland) and Lengpui (Mizoram) were also operating normally.

"Challenges are there for men and material but all stakeholders are working hard in close coordination and serving the people for their safe movement in and out of the northeastern region," Jindal said.

However, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), which operates in the entire northeastern region and in some parts of Bihar and West Bengal, has cancelled 71 trains on Sunday due to security and other reasons.

An NFR official said that due to security and technical reasons besides inadequate road transport services they were not operating the 71 trains.

"Kamakhya-Ranchi Express and Kishanganj-Ajmer Gareeb Nawaz Express would also remain cancelled on December 17. Because of law and order problem between New Farakka and Azimganj section of the Eastern Railway in West Bengal, six trains had to be cancelled on Sunday and the New Alipurduar-Sealdah Tista Torsa Express was short-terminated at Raninagar Jalpiguri," the official said.

Chief Public Relations Officer Subhanan Chanda said that the NFR had run four special trains between Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Dimapur and other places of northeast and carried about 2,400 stranded passengers to their destinations since December 12.

"Around 800 passengers, who have been stranded in Guwahati, were being ferried to their destinations since Saturday night," Chanda added.

The agitations against the CAA have also affected the operations of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) refineries and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) production units in Assam and the other states causing shortage of transport fuel and cooking gas.

"The availability of petrol, diesel and LPG would be normal in a day or two. Efforts are on to transport these petroleum products to all the northeastern states," an IOC official said in Agartala.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which has now become an Act after being passed by both the Houses of Parliament will provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The issue has caused widespread unprecedented violent protests in the northeast, especially in the states of Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya, with the agitating demonstrators demanding the withdrawal of the CAA claiming that the fresh legislation would jeopardize the demographic situations and life, culture and socio-economic positions to the 45.58 million populations of region.

13:26 December 15

Assam is the new Kashmir, says AR Chowdhury

AR Chowdhury, Congress: "It is a matter of concern that the entire North-East, especially Assam region has been engulfed in violence," said Congress leader AR Chowdhury on the ongoing protest in the northeast.

He said that Assam is recognised as a strategically important place for the country. But today, it has become the new Kashmir.

"On one hand, it is the Kashmir valley & on the other, the new Kashmir, Assam," he said.

Further, he stated that the passing of the Citizenship bill has created disturbance and violence in many districts of West Bengal. 

"The deprivation, discrimination has been prevailing upon the minority people of my state, West Bengal. I have already requested the state government to take all necessary measures in order to stop the escalation of violence," he added. 

13:08 December 15

AGP in Connivance with BJP: Ripun Bora

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee leader has said that the AGP approaching the Supreme Court against Citizenship Act is simply an eyewash.

"The Asom Gana Parishad is actually in connivance with BJP," he said.
 

13:05 December 15

Anti-CAA protesters obstruct key highways in Bengal

Anti-CAA protesters took to the streets for the third day at a stretch in West Bengal, as they felled trees and burnt tyres to obstruct key national and state highways on Sunday.

At one place in 24 Parganas North district, protesters even started a 'picnic' on the National Highway 34 after putting up a roadblock.

Protests also took place in Murshidabad and Birbhum districts.

At Amdanga in 24 Parganas district, protesters staged a demonstration by felling a tree and torching tyres on the road at Sonadanga and Dhankal on National Highway 34. At Kamdevpur, the protesters first blockaded the highway and then started cutting and mincing vegetables and cooking on the road to start a picnic.

The Kalyani Expressway was blockaded at Ruia Bakultala crossing under Kahardah police station, while demonstrators set ablaze tyres to block the Berachapa-Pritima crossing under Deganga police station.

In Birbhum, demonstrators burnt tyres and blocked the Murarai-Raghunathganj state Highway at Hiyatnagar, and obstructed the road at Mitrapur.

Carrying posters reading 'No NRC, No CAA', and 'Modi hatao, Desh bachao, BJP hatao, Desh Bachao', protesters set up road blockades on Jangipur-Lalgola state highway at Kantakhali under Raghunathganj police station.

The eastern state has been scalded by escalating violence against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that began on Friday and spread to more areas on Saturday. Mobs in various districts torched buses, trains and railway stations, set fire to government property and blocked roads and railway tracks, disrupting train and vehicular movements.

The protests have thrown railway services in jeopardy. EMU local train services on Howrah-Kharagpur section of South Eastern Railway resumed on Saturday evening after being stalled for 10 hours.

12:39 December 15

AGP members demand resignation of MPS who supported CAA

Asom Gana Parishad members hold demonstrations outside party headquarters in Guwahati demanding resignation of 3 ministers, including party president Atul Bora.

AGP MPs had voted in favour of citizenship bill in Parliament.

11:48 December 15

Filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma

Northeast cannot be dumping ground for foreigners: Filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma

Filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma has welcomed the Central government's decision to extend Inner Line Permit (ILP) to Manipur but reiterated his stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and said that all states of Northeast must fight against the Act as the region cannot be 'dumping ground' for foreigners.

"Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has now become an Act. It has now become a reality in northeast India. In Manipur, the government has announced that there will be ILP (Inner Line Permit) and so CAB in Manipur. Everyone should welcome the order of the government. It is clearly written in the order that there will be no CAB in the ILP areas," Sharma told reporters here.

"But my protest against CAB is not only for Manipur but for the whole of the Northeast. My point said that the Northeast cannot be dumping ground for foreigners. Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura are protesting against the Act. All states of Northeast must fight against this Act," he added.

The 83-year-old Manipuri filmmaker, who was honoured with Padma Shri in 2006 had earlier returned his award in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which has now become the Act after Presidential assent.

Sharma, throughout his career, bagged several national film awards for his invaluable contribution to the Indian film industry.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

Protests erupted in several parts of Northeast following the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

11:45 December 15

CAA protest: 3 dead, 27 injured in Guwahati Medical College Hospital 

As per Guwahati Medical College Hospital, 3 people have died, 27 people injured so far.

Protests have broken out in many parts of Assam following the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Parliament on 11 Dec, & it becoming an Act thereupon after Presidential assent on 12 Dec

11:43 December 15

Trains cancelled in West Bengal in view of CAA agitation

15 trains have been cancelled and 10 trains have been partially cancelled, in view of public agitation at different railway stations in Howrah-Kharagpur railway section of South Eastern Railway.

10:39 December 15

Violence over CAA reported from three districts of West Bengal

Sporadic incidents of violence reported from Nadia, North 24 Parganas & Howrah districts as protests against amended citizenship law continue in West Bengal. 

09:25 December 15

Committed to protect rights of people of Assam, tweets Sonowal

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday called upon all sections of the society to thwart the elements, who are misleading people on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

"We are committed to protect all genuine Indian citizens and the rights of the people of Assam. I call upon all sections of the society to thwart the elements who are misleading the people on #CAA and indulging in violence and together continue the growth journey of Assam," Sonowal tweeted.

Sonowal had on Saturday also appealed to the people of the state to maintain peace and harmony with regard to protest against the Act.

"I appeal to the people of the state to maintain peace and harmony, and work towards the same," Sonowal said.

He said that he has discussed the present situation in Assam in a meeting with cabinet colleagues, union minister Rameshwar Teli, MPs, MLAs and BJP state president Ranjeet Kumar Dass in Guwahati.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

08:15 December 15

Dibrugarh:The curfew imposed in Guwahati and parts of Dibrugarh district following protests against the amended Citizenship Act was relaxed on Sunday, police said.

Curfew was relaxed from 7 am to 4 pm in Guwahati. It was also relaxed from 7 am to 4 pm in Dibrugarh west, Naharkatia, Tenughat and some other places in the district from 7 am to 4 pm, officials said.

Long queues were seen outside shops at several places, including Dispur, Uzan Bazar, Chandmari, Silpukhuri and Zoo Road in Guwahati town.

Auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws were plying across the city. Petrol pumps in the city have also opened with vehicles waiting in lines to refuel.

Police are using loudspeakers to inform the public about the relaxation, he added.

Protests erupted in Dibrugarh and other parts of Assam following the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the Parliament on Wednesday, and it becoming an Act thereupon after the Presidential assent on Thursday.

As many as 26 Army columns have been deployed in Assam to assist the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to handle the situation.

The Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.