Nearly 5,000 people participated in an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest on Wednesday, demanding “unconditional” withdrawal of the “contentious” law at Bhella in the Barpeta district, about 90km from here.
The protest was organised by common people of Bhella who fear that the CAA poses a threat to the identity of Assamese people and will influence the cultural and demographic characteristics.
“The anti-CAA protest will continue until scrapping of the CAA. Everyone, irrespective of religion, caste and creed, are protesting against it,” a member of the Forum Against Citizenship Act Amendment Bill, Monjit Mahanta, said at the meeting. Assam PCC chief Ripun Bora took out a massive rally against the CAA.
“Second phase of @INCAssam’s Statewide Padayatra today entered #Teok Town where we addressed a huge gathering & started our padayatra covering 5 KM of the town area. Along with me Dip Gogoi, Pallavi Gogoi, Ramanna Baruah, Gojendra Upamanyu, Sushanta Borgahain & big team of APCC,” Bora tweeted.
“After crossing Teok LAC @INCAssam Statewide Padayatra team entered Amguri LAC covering 4km of padayatra in the town area we addressed a street-corner meeting with huge gathering along with @angkitadutta, Ramanna Baruah, Gojendra Upamanyu & a big team of PCC #SayNOToCAA,” Bora added.
Highway blockade
Activists of the All Assam Students’ Union, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad and the All Moran Students’ Union, along with local people and 30 indigenous groups and organisations, on Wednesday organised a blockade on National Highway 37 near Makum Tiniali in Tinsukia district protesting against the CAA. They chanted slogans such as “Narendra Modi hoshiyar,” “BJP go back”, “Narendra Modi murdabad, Sarbananda Sonowal murdabad” and “CAA aami namanu”. The blockade was lifted by Tinsukia police. Thirty-one protesters who were detained were later released.
The district witnessed a spontaneous bandh till noon. College students staged protests wearing black badges and waving black flags.
Additional reporting by Manoj Kumar Ojha in Doomdooma
