CAA protest in Assam; Curfew, broadband internet to go from today

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GUWAHATI | DEC 17, 2019:

The Assam Government has decided to completely lift curfew, including night curfew, from Tuesday (Dec 17). Broadband internet services will also be restored from tomorrow, Assam Finance, Health and PWD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted Monday night.

The ban on mobile internet will, however, remain in place, the decisions were taken at a law and order review meeting by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Meanwhile, all the 16 West Bengal bound trains remained cancelled on Monday as protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) continued across the state.

Leaders of the All Assam Students Union (Aasu) ––chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya and general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi –– were arrested when they were marching towards the Deputy Commissioner's office in Guwahati during a satyagraha organised by the student body, in which several other organisations participated. They were released later.

Sarma said Aasu leaders were arrested for launching the 'Revoke CAA or Arrest' progamme. Thousands of people took out a protest rally in Chabua of Upper Assam.

Members of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) are on a 36-hour hunger strike from December 16. Founding president of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said prime minister Narendra Modi is not aware of the massive protest against the CAA in Assam.

"The Act has provision where it says no document is required if a particular person is persecuted or not. This is a red carpet welcome to illegal immigrants will have to leave Assam, post May 16," he said. Mahanta, who led the Assam Agitation, said, "If Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal can oppose CAA and say that their governments will not implement it, why can't Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal do the same?" Stating that there is no split in the party after the lone Rajya Sabha member voted in favour of the bill, he said, "If democratic protest is not respected, people will resort to violence. The prime minister and home minister are not above the Constitution. Assam is witnessing a people's awakening. We are also preparing for a long legal battle against CAA," he said.

He clarified that the AGP leadership, after supporting the bill, has decided to move the Supreme Court challenging the Act.