Kohima, Jan 22 (PTI) Almost all the colleges and universities in Nagaland remained closed on Wednesday as various students' unions called for shutdown to protest against the new citizenship law.

The students observed the shutdown on a day the Supreme Court heard the pleas challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

"All the colleges, both private and government, and the Nagaland University remained shut for the day, supporting the movement against CAA," All Nagaland College Students Union (ANCSU) president Vimeyiekho Vitsu told PTI here.

Except two colleges which had their annual sports week in progress, all others remained closed, he said.

Students of St Joseph College, Jakhama also took out a peaceful rally and held a sit-in outside the Raj Bhavan here with hundreds protesters shouting slogans and holding placards against the new citizenship law.

The Nagaland University campuses in Zunheboto, Dimapur and Kohima also remained closed, students claimed.

Apart from ANCSU, Nagaland University Research Scholar Forum (NURSF), Nagaland Theological Colleges' Association (NTCA), Dimapur Naga Students Federation (DNSU) and Nagaland University Students Union (NUSU) also took part in the protest.

Students' unions lamented that despite democratic protests against the legislation, their voices had "fallen on deaf ears".

Hearing a batch of 143 petitions, the Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the government four weeks to respond to the pleas challenging the CAA and said a five-judge Constitution bench will hear the matter.

The apex court had on January 9 refused to entertain an appeal praying that the CAA be declared constitutional, saying the country is going through difficult times and there is so much violence that endeavour should be for peace.

The CAA seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis entering India on or before December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after five years of residence here.

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