Assam Bandh: 44 organisations stage protest against Citizenship Bill

The KMSS and AJYCP along with 44 organisations have called a 12-hour statewide shutdown in Assam against the Centre’s attempt to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) bill in the winter season of the Parliament. The Guwahati High Court called this bandh ‘unconstitutional and illegal’.

The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP) led bandh has crippled the state. The protesters are squatting on railway tracks, burning tyres on roads and shouting slogans demanding 12-hour bandh over Citizenship Bill today.

Several political parties including Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), have extended their support to the bandh. KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi said that this was the first time that they had called a bandh and would not call it off as the very ‘existence of the Assamese people and their identity is at stake’.

Shops remain closed in Guwahati as a 12-hour statewide bandh has been called by over 40 organisations in Assam against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 pic.twitter.com/vcRHA7uGi1

— ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2018

All district magistrates and superintendents of police had been advised by the BJP government in the state to take measures to maintain public utility services in view of the statewide bandh call.

The Asom Gana Parishad — a partner of the BJP-led alliance government in Assam, will hold a rally in the later part of the day to register its protest against the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC’s) proposed meeting with the MEA and MHA. At least 50,000 people are likely to attend the rally.

Also read: Assam DCP suspended for security lapse during Chief Justice’s visit