Dispur will not permit the Citizens’ Rights Protection Forum-Assam, a platform of 24 Bengali organisations, to hold a rally here on November 17 in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, as it could create law and order problems.

Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the decision was taken following a security assessment done by the government, which suggested that the rally may trigger a law and order situation similar to last year’s Silapathar violence.

The government took the decision after Assam BJP appealed to it on Monday not to allow the proposed rally. The state unit adopted a resolution to this effect at a meeting of its MPs, MLAs and state office-bearers held at the official residence of Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal here.

“We oppose the proposed rally by Bengali organisations in support of the bill and tomorrow (Tuesday)’s bandh call by organisations against the bill,” Assam BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass said.

Altogether 46 organisations of the state’s indigenous communities have called the 12-hour Assam bandh.

Opposing the bandh, Sarma said according to a Gauhati High Court ruling, bandhs are illegal. In January 2010, the high court had declared all bandhs in Assam illegal as bandhs violate the fundamental rights of citizens.

Dass said, “The bandh call and the rally have no justification or relevance at this stage since the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) which is examining the bill is yet to submit its final report, which will have to be placed and discussed in Parliament.” He urged the people not to support the bandh, saying that “bandh culture” affects economy and investment climate.

He, however, parried questions from reporters on why then had the BJP called a bandh in Bengal last month. “I am not aware about the Bengal bandh,” he said.

The BJP had called a bandh in Bengal on September 26 in protest against the death of two youths in an alleged police firing at Daribhit in North Dinajpur.

Dispur has also taken a slew of measures to foil the bandh and maintain normalcy on Tuesday. Additional police personnel will be deployed throughout the state to ensure that there is no disruption or violence because of the bandh.

Indigenous Forum, Assam, headed by Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia, had submitted a memorandum to Assam director-general of police Kuladhar Saikia on Monday, urging him to prohibit the November 17 rally. The forum also submitted a memorandum to the JPC, opposing the bill.

The AGP will hold a mass rally here on Tuesday against the bill.