Bandh supporters burning tyres in support of 12-hour Assam bandh in Dibrugarh. Image: Northeast Now

The 12-hour Assam bandh called by the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) on Friday hit normal life in Dibrugarh.

The bandh was called against the non-inclusion of Hindus in the final NRC published on August 31 last.

Normal life was also hit in Tinsukia district, however, there was no impact in Barak Valley.

Dibrugarh’s business establishments and offices remained closed during the bandh hours.

The bandh supporters burnt tyres in various places of the district.

Public transport remained off the road and only a few private vehicles were seen plying in the Dibrugarh town.

“We are protesting against the non-inclusion of Hindus in the final NRC,” the bandh supporters said.

“We demand the inclusion of every Hindu persecuted from Bangladesh,” they asserted.

“Names of illegal Bangladeshi included in the NRC must be excluded immediately,” they added.

“We are not happy with the final NRC. The BJP made lots of commitment, however, they failed in most of it,” they further said.

Speaking to Northeast Now, Tinsukia RBD president Abhijit Bajrangi said, “Hindus’s names were excluded even after they submitted proper documents.”

“How could this happen? We suspect foul play. It’s a plan to exclude Hindus from the NRC,” he further added.

The RBD also demanded for the preparation of a fresh citizen register with 1951 as the cut-off year instead of March 24, 2971.

The organisation also demanded the constitutional safeguard of the indigenous people of the state.

Avik Chakraborty is Northeast Now Correspondent in Dibrugarh. He can be reached at: [email protected]