The KMSS staged a “Raj Bhavan chalo” protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which is listed to be tabled in the ongoing session of Parliament, here on Friday.

Around a thousand people, including women and children, staged a three-hour protest from 10am at Guwahati Club from where they moved towards Raj Bhavan, about 1km away, but were stopped by police before they reached their destination. The KMSS aimed to submit a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind through governor Jagdish Mukhi.

The protesters carried placards saying “Narendra Modi murdabad”, “CAB must be scrapped” and “We reject CAB, Assam rejects CAB”.

KMSS adviser Akhil Gogoi told reporters, “The bill is undemocratic and violates the very norms of the Constitution. It will not be allowed to be passed under any circumstances. Assamese people have clearly stated that they will not accept the bill. The main tagline of today’s protest is Assam rejects Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The chief ministers of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have also said they will not accept the bill.”

The citizenship bill is listed among the 27 bills which are going to be introduced in the ongoing winter session. According to the Lok Sabha website, the bill seeks to “amend the definition of illegal migrant, reduction in the number of years of residency period to obtain Indian citizenship through naturalisation and to empower the central government to cancel the registration of Overseas Citizen of India card in case of any violation.”

Akhil said about 20 lakh Bangladeshi Hindus in Assam would get citizenship if the bill is enacted. “If the bill becomes a law, an illegal immigrant/ Hindu Bangladeshi will become the next chief minister of the state and 1.7 crore Bangladeshis will arrive in India. Altogether 1.9 crore Bangladeshis will be given citizenship. Assamese may lose the status of the official language of the state,” he added.

“An attempt is being made by the Centre to divide Assam on religious lines... till our last drop of blood, we will oppose CAB which is against the interest of the indigenous people of the state,” Akhil said.

He gave a call for people to oppose the bill through democratic protests. “Everyone, irrespective of religion, who came after March 24, 1971, must leave Assam,” he said.

Litterateur Hiren Gohain, former director-general of Assam police Hare Krishna Deka and senior journalists Haidar Hussain and Monjit Mahanta were present during the protest.

Gohain, chairman of the Assam-based Forum Against Citizenship Act Amendment Bill, said, “Under no circumstances will the bill, which is anti-indigenous people, be accepted by our state as 1.9 crore Hindu Bangladeshis will come to Assam and threaten the existence of the Assamese language besides taking up jobs, which will render the local people unemployed.”