BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad does a U-turn, to move SC

Guwahati: Protests continued in different parts of Assam, with several artists joining the agitation in Guwahati, although curfew was relaxed in many districts of the state. The death toll in Assam in protests against the amendment to citizenship law increased to four.

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), an ally of BJP, said it would move the Supreme Court to exempt Assam from the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA). As anti-CAA slogans rang out in several parts of Guwahati, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) announced that it would hold Satyagarh in different districts and blocks across the state from December 16-18.

Police has arrested 1,500 persons in connection with violent protests and vandalism and sent around 200 people to judicial custody. GP Singh, additional general of police (law and order), announced on Twitter on Sunday evening: “The situation having improved considerably, the day curfew is being withdrawn from Guwahati from 6 am of December 16th. Night curfew would remain from 9 pm till 6 am next day.” Ashutosh Agnihotri, commissioner and secretary (home and political), told ET: “The situation is returning to normalcy, with no fresh incidents in the last three days. The death toll has reached four. The additional forces sent by the Centre have reached the state.” Protesters, however, claimed that five people had died while 27 people were admitted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital with bullet injuries.


AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya lashed out at Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal saying: “Sonowal has said due to CAA only a few persons will get citizenship. We want these few people must be taken to Prime Minister Modi’s Gujarat.” AASU president Dipanka Kumar Nath said: “Government has unleashed their oppressive machinery on people, killing five minor students and injuring many others with bullets. It is clear that the Sarbananda Sonowal government will be brought down.”