CAB Protests in Assam: Curfew Relaxed From 8 am to 1 pm in Guwahati's Dibrugarh on Friday
The northeastern state has been witnessing widespread protest ever since the bill was passed in the Upper House. On Thursday, several trains and flights were cancelled on and all long-distance trains were being terminated at Guwahati, as the state continued to reel under widespread violence.
Guwahati, December 13: Amid the unrest in Assam, curfew in Dibrugarh district of Guwahati has been relaxed from 8 am to 1 pm on Friday. Assam's capital city and Dibrugarh were placed under indefinite curfew till further orders in the wake of protests after the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The northeastern state has been witnessing widespread protest ever since the bill was passed in the Upper House. The Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed across the state to bring the situation under control. CAB Protest: Assam Remains on The Edge, Two Protesters Dead, Mobile Internet Ban Extended For 48 Hours.
According to reports, angry protesters set ablaze the house of an MLA, torched vehicles and burnt down a circle office as the state government removed two key police officers including the Guwahati Police Commissioner. On Thursday, several trains and flights were cancelled to and from Guwahati amid the protests. Meanwhile, all long-distance trains were being terminated at Guwahati as the state continued to reel under widespread violence. CAB Passage Jolts Northeast: Why Assam and Neighbouring States Are Up in Protest Against Citizenship Amendment Bill.
The administration has also suspended mobile Internet services for 24 hours from 7 pm on Wednesday in ten districts of the state-Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (metro) and Kamrup. In the wake of the raging protests, an order of the Assam administration warned that violation of the "promulgation" will be punishable under Section 188 IPC and also under the relevant provision of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.
On Thursday midnight, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, following which it become an Act. The Act allows Indian citizenship to six non-Muslim minority migrants facing religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 13, 2019 08:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).