Assam CM, Sarbananda Sonowal hands over this year's Shilpi Award to Jagya Bezbaruah and Prashanta Bordoloi in presence of other distinguished guests at Mangaldai on Thursday. Image: Northeast Now.

An elderly activist of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) activist flashed his genital while AJYCP showed black flag during Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s visit to Mangaldai on Thursday.

A section of members of the Brihattar Asomiya Yuva Mancha demonstrated half nude protest near the Mangaldai Municipal Board office.

The elderly protester was later taken into police custody. Two Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad activists were detained by Mangaldai police for waving black flags earlier in the day.

A section of members of the Brihattar Asomiya Yuva Mancha demonstrated half nude protest near the Mangaldai Municipal Board office.

The protester slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government’s move to implement the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Mangaldai on Thursday.

As Sonowal was addressing a gathering on the occasion of the Silpi Divas at the Mangaldai District Library, the protester shouted slogans like ‘BJP hai hai’, ‘BJP go back’.

Sonowal in his address asserted that the  Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 is not going to create any threat to the language, culture and indigenous people of the State .

“Some people have been creating confusion among the people. This bill is not a new one . It has been proposed by several leaders of the country including Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel and Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru many years back.

“This bill is prepared under the national rules and so it is the responsibility of the Central Government and the State Government is no way responsible for it . There is no cause of panic for the indigenous people of the State and its language and culture.

“Some people are creating confusion among the people . We have no political agenda behind it. Whatever we do, we do it in a transparent way,” Sonowal said.

“I appealed to AASU and the AGP to come forward and cooperate with the government in the process of providing constitutional safe guards to our people similar to those being enjoyed by indigenous people in neighbouring States like Mizoram ,” Sonowal maintained.

He also presented Shilpi Awards for the year 2019 to two distinguished artistes , music composer , lyricists of the State Jagya Bezbaruah and Prashanta Bordoloi.

Mayukh Goswami is Northeast Now Correspondent in Mangaldai. He can be reached at: [email protected]