The 16-party United Opposition Forum in Assam responded to the Centre’s notification of CAA rules by calling a daylong “total strike” in the state on Tuesday in protest against the “unconstitutional law” that “threatens” the future of the state.

Assam was the first state to have launched a protest against the proposed law and had seen widespread violence after Parliament passed it on December 11, 2019. The protests had led to the death of five persons. The United Opposition Forum had staged a dharna against the implementation of the law hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kaziranga on Friday evening.

Assam Jatiya Parishad and Congress leaders said on Monday evening that they had called for a total strike and non-cooperation on Tuesday against the move to implement the CAA while asserting that the law would not be accepted in the state.

The Congress had staged a two-hour dharna during the day in all district headquarters to protest against the CAA while the AJP called a flash protest soon after the Union home ministry made the notification announcement on Monday evening.

The anti-CAA brigade believes the implementation of the CAA will lead to an influx, destroying the culture and identity of the Assamese people by nullifying the 1985 Assam Accord aimed at detection, detention and deportation of illegal foreigners. This section also claims the CAA is aimed at granting citizenship to Bengali-origin Hindus left out of the NRC.

AJP president and spokesperson of the United Opposition Forum, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, came down heavily on the BJP-ruled Centre, saying there would be a total strike in Assam on Tuesday against the CAA notification.

“BJP MP Sarbanabda Sonowal and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have surrendered before the Centre instead of standing up for Assam’s future, which is at risk owing to the CAA. Already our language and political future are threatened.... The CAA will make the situation even more difficult for the indigenous people,” Gogoi said.