BJP office vandalised & Sonowal’s residence gheraoed at Dibrugarh,

January 8: An 11-hour Northeast bandh, called by the Northeast Students’ Organisation (NESO), All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and other 30 indigenous organisations on Tuesday, to protest against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 began amid tight security from 5 am. Agitated people came out in protest against the citizenship bill. The BJP office situated at Amolapatty, just 100 meters from Amolapatty police outpost was vandalized by agitated protesters. Further, the villagers gheraoed the house of the Sonowal and voiced slogans against the NDA government, Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and Assam government.

Except the three districts of Barak Valley, the bandh was successful elsewhere in Assam. The agitated protesters pelted stones on security forces. Additional SP(HQ) Surjeet Singh Paneswar bore minor injuries. Security forces lathi-charged the people to disperse them from Dibrugarh BJP office. Some protesters stopped CRPF vehicle near the Dibrugarh University. Police used tear gas to disperse the supporters from the area. Later, the police used blank fire.

News have poured in from some places where the vehicles were damaged by the bandh supporters. Several vehicles were damaged in Guwahati, Tinsukia and Dibrugrah. In Guwahati, bandh supporters damaged vehicles in Uzan Bazar, Silpukuhiri and so on. The streets wore a deserted look. Tyres were burnt on the roads at various places across the state to prevent movement of vehicles. Shops, educational institutions, and business establishments remain closed.

The members of the Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad on Tuesday staged a protest by writing slogans with their blood on the streets of Lakhimpur. The agitators were seen using blades to cut their skin. They raised slogans like ‘BJP government go back, ‘Citizenship bill hai hai’ and so on.

Meanwhile, a high-level meeting was called at CM Sarbananda Sonowal’s residence in Guwahati. All the parties spokespersons have been summoned to discuss the recent political scenario.

The Citizenship Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955. It seeks to grant citizenship to people from minority communities – Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they do not possess any proper document.The Bill has already been passed by the Union Cabinet on Monday and was tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday.