The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and 28 other organizations representing various ethnic communities staged a ‘gana satyagraha’ in protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central Government’s move to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and demanded scrapping of the Bill immediately.
Addressing a gathering, AASU chief advisor Dr Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya asked the BJP-led Centre and the State Government to work in the interest of the indigenous people of the State otherwise to get ready to face grave consequence.
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Bhattacharyya said, “We have gathered here to fight with collective strength of all 29 groups against the Centre’s move to provide Indian citizenship to illegal migrants by implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.”
He further asked the Government not to test the patience of the indigenous people.
Talking to Northeast Now, AASU president Dipanka Kumar Nath said, “The AASU and other 28 organisations staged the protest at historic Latashil playground to warn the Government that if the Bill is not scrapped then there would be more strong protests in near future.”
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“We won’t allow the Government to implement the Bill which would jeopardise the identity of the indigenous people of the State. The Government must denounce the Bill,” Nath said.
He also demanded the BJP-led coalition Government in the State to stand and work in the interest of the indigenous people of the State. He said, “The State Government should compel the Centre to agree to denounce the Bill.”
Bringing allegations against a section of political parties and organisations, Nath said, “Some political parties and organisations have been protecting illegal migrants including Hindu-Bangladeshis. But, we are ready to face off any kind of situation for the greater interest of the indigenous people.”
Lashing out at the previous State Government, Nath said, “The Congress Government tried to bring Muslim-Bangladeshis during their 15 years of rule in the State while the present Government has been striving to bring in the Hindu-Bangladeshis. That is the only difference between both the Governments.”
AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is actually a liar which we could not realise when he made the false promises before the 2016 Assam Assembly election and 2014 Lok Sabha election. He has been constantly involved in conspiracy to break the backbone of the Assamese community. The Government is not showing any respect towards the democratic protests of the people of Assam. It is clear that if the Bill is passed by the Parliament then definitely the Government would face a strong movement across the State.”
Talking to Northeast Now, senior leader of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Birendra Prasad Baishya, who also joined the protest, reiterated the party’s opposition to the Bill. He also demanded the implementation of the historic Assam Accord to identify and deport the illegal migrants.
A large number of protestors across the State joined the protest.
The protestors also took out a protest rally from the Latashil playground to Chandmari in Guwahati.
The protestors also demanded the Government to seal the Indo-Bangla border and sign a bilateral treaty between India and Bangladesh.