Violent protests broke out in Assam last month over the citizenship law CAA
A day after the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA came into force through a notification, protesting groups in Assam have threatened to intensify their agitation against the law, claiming the government's notification is "great injustice" to the voice of the people.
"This is yet another betrayal of the people of Assam and Northeast by the centre. In Assam, we will continue to oppose CAA. We challenge the centre to prove that CAA is not anti-nation. We will intensify the protests," All Assam Students' Union (AASU) advisor Sammujjal Bhattacharyya told NDTV.
Another group at the forefront of protests - Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) has given a call for yet another series of massive anti-CAA protests in the state.
"This notification is a great injustice to Assam, to the nation, to people's voice, thus is religious minded. On 22nd January you have the Supreme Court hearing, but government can't wait, why? Because they are creating a vote bank with these people from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh," said AJYCP general secretary Palash Changmai.
On Saturday, while several smaller agitations were organized in Guwahati after the centre's notification, in Tinsukia district another anti-CAA rally was held by AASU.
AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi, who has been forefront of the protests, said he felt that now hope lies with the Supreme Court, which is going to hear the petition on the citizenship law on January 22.
Violent protests broke out in Assam last month over the citizenship law, leading to the deaths of at least five people, imposition of curfew in Guwahati and suspension of internet services in several districts.
The Citizenship Amendment Act makes, for the first time, religion a test of citizenship. The government says it will help non-Muslim refugees from three neighbouring Muslim-dominated countries become citizens if they fled to India because of religious persecution. Critics say it violates secular tenets of the Constitution and discriminates against Muslims.