Assam: Anti-CAA Protests Erupt, United Opposition Forum Call for ‘Complete Strike’ Today

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government’s notification of CAA 2019 (Citizenship Amendment Act) rules on Monday night, four years after passage of the Bill in Parliament, has led to widespread protests in Assam, with security being beefed up across the state.

A total of 16 Opposition parties, under the umbrella of the United Opposition Forum-Assam (UOFA), have called for a complete strike on March 12, Tuesday.

In Sivasagar, the Assam Police detained activists from Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Chhatra Mukti Sangram Samiti, and Raijor Dal who were protesting against CAA on Tuesday.

In a statement, UOFA said Assam “cannot accept the load of illegal foreigners as it wholeheartedly favours implementation of the Assam Accord, which says all foreigners coming to the state on or after March 25, 1971, will be detected, deleted from electoral rolls and steps would be taken to deport them.

"We will not accept the CAA at any cost as it will destroy the Assamese community. It will finish our language, literature, culture and identity," according to a UOFA statement, as cited in Assam Tribune.

According to reports, the Centre’s announcement led to a strong reaction in the North-Eastern state with the Opposition parties as well as various organisations, such as the All Assam Students Union (AASU), staging protests in Guwahati. In fact, AASU even burnt copies of CAA in various places across the state.

AASU, which had led a six-year agitation demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants in 1979, said it would fight the legislation in and outside court, according to the Assam Tribune.

AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharjya told PTI: ''We will continue with our non-violent, peaceful, democratic movement against the CAA. Alongside, we will also continue our legal fight."

Debabrata Saikia , Congress leader of the Opposition in the Assam assembly termed the notification of CAA as "unfortunate".

 “When Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP had been saying since 2016 that all illegal foreigners will have to leave Assam, they betrayed the people of the state and brought in the CAA,'' Saikia told PTI.

Akhil Gogi, president of The Raijor Dal, told PTI: "The process to legitimise 15-20 lakh Bangladeshi Hindus illegally living in Assam has begun. There is no other way but to come out on the street and protest against this unconstitutional act.''

He said a section of the people were scared that if the CAA is implemented, it would endanger their identity and livelihood.

"Assam's long struggle against illegal immigration has been nullified with just this one act. This act will also open the doors for 1.7 crore Hindus living in Bangladesh to cross over to Assam," Gogoi added.

BJP senior spokesperson Rupam Goswami told PTI: "There was a misinformation campaign by the Opposition that crores of Hindus from Bangladesh would enter Assam after the law was passed by Parliament, but nothing of that sort has happened''.

AIUDF legislator Ashraful Hussain told the news agency that the BJP had implemented CAA before the Lok Sabha polls as it was ''greedy for Bangladeshi Hindu votes''.

"We favour Indian citizenship for anyone coming to Assam before March 25, 1971, and it should not be based on any religion or community'', he added.

Assam's AAP president Bhaben Choudhury told PTI that this ''day will be marked as the 'black day' in Assam's history and BJP will be remembered as a traitor for imposing the communal and anti-community CAA''.

CPI(M) Assam State Secretary Suprakash Talukdar questioned the Ministry of Home Affairs, which  had said in Parliament, that the government had no plans to introduce the law till it was sub-judice.

Meanwhile, the Assam Police has warned people against organising any strike, after the Opposition gave a call for “Sarbatmak Hartal” (complete strike), and said any damage to property would invite legal action.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), DGP Assam said, legal action would be taken if there is any “damage to public/private property including Railway and National Highway properties or injury to any citizen caused”.

“Legal action under appropriate provisions of law including the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 will be initiated against you and the total cost of damage to public and private properties will be recovered from you and your Organization,” it added.