Citizenship Bill: Assam government braces for bandh today

GUWAHATI: The BJP-led Assam government has opposed the 12-hour bandh called by 60 different organisations against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 on October 23.

The bandh has been called to protest against the move of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to hold meetings with officials of the Union ministry of Home Affairs and External Affairs ministry regarding the passage of the bill without visiting Assam for the second time to take the views of individuals and organisations of the state who are opposing the bill.

The JPC had visited Assam and Meghalaya in May this year.


Congress is supporting the bandh and so is BJP’s ally in the government, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which will organise a protest rally on October 23 in Guwahati. AGP expects 50,000 people to participate in this rally.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had held emergency meeting with senior ministers and BJP leaders to discuss the bandh. The government has asked employees to report for duty on Tuesday. Police have been asked to arrest bandh supporters and traders have been asked to keep their business establishment open failing which their trade licence will be cancelled.