CAA rules notified, Assam’s united opposition calls for joint protest tomorrow
Four years after it was passed by both houses of Parliament on December 12, 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday notified the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules, even as protests against the law continue in the country, including Assam.
These rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 will enable the persons eligible under CAA-2019 to apply for a grant of Indian citizenship.
As the political tension escalates across the state and the notification, Assam director general of police (DGP) Gyanendra Pratap Singh reviewed the situation in a video conferencing with all superintendents of police (SPs) on Monday evening.
Police commandos have been deployed in all streets of Guwahati city and other vulnerable places of the state to deal with any emergency.
Despite these warnings, several organisations, prominently the All Assam Students Union (AASU), have declared their intent to stage anti-CAA protests. The opposition parties have, in turn, announced a series of agitations against the controversial act, setting the stage for potential clashes between protestors and authorities.
Congress-led 16 party United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA) will stage a ‘sarbatmak satyagraha’ across the state on Tuesday.
Leaders of the Assam Pradesh congress party (APCC) staged a mass dharna at Rajiv Bhawan here on Monday evening in which former MPs Bolin Kuli and Dwijen Sarma, chief spokesperson Mehdi Alam Borah, vice president Balika Lahaan Pegu general secretary (organisation) Bipul Gogoi took part in the protest.
Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) also staged a protest inside the party office in Guwahati on Monday to voice against the notification of CAA rules.
The party workers also took out a procession from the party head office covering their faces with black clothes.
Activists of Cotton University Students Union (CUSU), Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), and Muslim Students Union of Assam (MSUA) also staged protests in various parts of the state in protest against the notification of CAA rules.
MSUA will stage a sit-in demonstration in all district headquarters of the state on Tuesday. The student body will also stage road blockade at different parts across the state on Wednesday.
“CAA is a grave injustice to the people of Assam. The people of Assam should realise their mistake by keeping faith in the BJP. Assam can’t bear additional burdens of foreign nationals,” said Debabrata Saikia, leader of opposition, Assam Legislative Assembly.
“The Central government has declared that the CAA is implemented all over the country including Assam. We have been demanding that the CAA should not be implemented in Assam as we have Assam Accord which safeguards Assamese people and says those people who entered India before March 24, 1971 will be Indian citizens,” Saikia said.
“But the CAA will allow anyone coming to Assam within December 31 2014 to become an Indian citizen and they will have the right to buy land, to buy property and enjoy all facilities. This will be against the spirit of the Assam Accord which is accepted by all people of the state,” Saikia also said.
“During his election campaign in 2014, Narendra Modi declared that all foreign nationals would be asked to leave Assam once the party was voted to power. After May 16, 2014, Modi became the PM of India and now he allowed foreigners to enter Assam and settle here,” Saikia added.
Reacting to the CAA notification, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president and UOFA general secretary of Lurinjyoti Gogoi said: “Finally the NDA government implemented the CAA trampling the sacrifices of the martyrs of the Assam Agitation.”
“The government implemented this Act knowing that it would be a threat to the existence of the Assamese people by ensuring the rights of illegal foreigners over the language, culture and land of the Assamese people,” Gogoi said.
He said Sarbananda Sonowala and Himanta Biswa Sarma who talk of Jati Mati and Bheti failed to convince the Central government to refrain from implementing the CAA in the state.
“Today is a dark day for Assam, the Assamese people,” Gogoi also said.
“Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sharma will be marked as national villains for life for this unforgivable crime The two villains will forever be etched in black letters in the pages of history,” Gogoi further said.
“I appeal to all sections of people, organisations, and citizen committees to raise their voices and protest against the implementation of this Act,” Gogoi added.
Reacting to the notification, Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said: “It was done by the BJP to garner the support of Bangladeshi Hindus in Assam and to increase seats in Lok Sabha in the upcoming elections.”
“My first and foremost appeal to the people is to come to the street and protest in a large scale. But the protest should be peaceful and democratic,” he said.
“This Act will be a threat to the people of Assam. Immediately after implementation, 15 to 20 lakh people will get citizenship in the state and more than 1.70 crore people will come from Bangladesh and get their citizenship,” Gogoi also said.
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Twitter
Leave a Reply