Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill continued to rock Assam as a large group of students fought a pitched battle with the police near the State Secretariat on Wednesday, police said. On Tuesday, students across the country - from institutions like Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU to the University of Hyderabad, had erupted in protests against the 'Nazi-esque' Bill as many described it. Many student bodies also issued statements against the Bill prior to its passing.
In Assam, the All Assam Student's Union and 30 tribal organisations calling themselves the Guwahati University ASU group and University law college had even to the streets last night with torches to condemn the Bill as well.
Today, students in large numbers were seen proceeding towards the Secretariat from all directions. Another group reached Ganeshguri area, around 500 metres from the centre of power. They broke a barricade on GS Road following which the police resorted to lathi-charge.
Teargas shells were also lobbed at the students who also threw the shells back at the policemen. Claiming that several of them were injured in the lathi-charge, the students said, "This is a barbaric government led by Sarbananda Sonowal. We will not succumb to any pressure till the CAB is repealed.” Traffic has gone haywire in the city.
Internet services in 10 districts of Assam will remain suspended for 24 hours from 1900 hours this evening in view of the prevailing law and order situation arising out of the anti-CAB protests in the state.
A notification issued by the additional chief secretary, Home and Political Department, Kumar Sanjay Krishna, said mobile internet/data service of all mobile service providers will remain suspended from 1900 hours today till 1900 hours tomorrow (December 12).
The districts in which it will remain suspended are Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivsagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (metro) and Kamrup districts.
The decision has been taken to ensure that there is no 'spreading of rumours and transmission of information like pictures, videos and text that have the potential to inflame passions and thus exacerbate the law and order situation'.
Besides Guwahati, protestors also clashed with the police in Dibrugarh district where the police fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets at demonstrators. A journalist was also injured in stone-pelting there.
