GUWAHATI: There is no letup in the protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Assam.
From staging a nude protest to writing slogans with blood, the protestors are taking different measures to ventilate their ire against the controversial Bill which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to “persecuted” immigrants belonging to six non-Muslim communities who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014.
After various civil society organisations and political parties, now students, senior citizens, retired bureaucrats, celebrities, intellectuals etc are joining the statewide protests.
On Friday, the students of prestigious Cotton University launched a movement against the Bill.
The varsity’s general secretary Hirak Jyoti Bora said a war against the BJP had been declared by the students.
“As they (BJP) have the numbers in Parliament, we are sure they are going to table the Bill there but they must remember our protests will continue and it will be more intensified if the Bill is passed,” Bora said at a rally which the university students organised. Students from various colleges took part in it to register their protest.
Sharing the dais there, popular singer Zubeen Garg said he had no doubt the Bill would harm Assamese culture among others.
“If it so warrants, we’ll move the Supreme Court,” he asserted.
Amidst the protests, two MLAs of ruling BJP carried pro-Citizenship Bill posters to the state Assembly on the last day of winter session.
The duo – Numol Momin and Mrinal Saikia – defended the Centre’s move saying India is the natural home for the Hindus and the Sikhs.