A protester, who was injured in police firing in Guwahati on Thursday, succumbed to his injuries. This is the second death in the state. Earlier in the wee hours, a person was killed in Tinsukia when miscreants torched four to five shops.
The anti-CAB protests in Assam have intensified with agitators setting BJP MLA Binod Hazarika's house on fire and pelting stones at the vehicle of Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta.
Several BJP and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) MLAs and their offices were targetted in many parts of the state. The existing curfew, in Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, has been extended to other parts of the state as well. The suspension of mobile internet in 10 districts for 24 hours has been extended to the entire state for a duration of 24 hours.
The Centre has rushed senior NIA official GP Singh, IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre to keep a tab on the situation. Singh has also been appointed as the state ADGP (law and order).
A public meeting organized by the All Assam Students Union appealing all Assamese to join their protest was conducted on Lapasin Ground. Despite heavy security presence, over 1000 people attended the meeting braving lathi-charge and violence. Close to 250 Army personnel have been deployed in Guwahati.
Protesters also targeted the AGP head office in Ambari. They were, however, faced with lathi-charge and violence by paramilitary forces who resorted to teargas shell firing to disperse the protesters.
Meanwhile, train services within the state are cancelled and exams in colleges and universities have been deferred. According to information educational institutes are also shut till 22 December.
Popular Assamese actor Jatin Bora has quit the BJP, the reason for which is unknown.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has appealed the people to maintain peace and tranquillity. "A section of the society is trying to aggravate the situation by spreading misinformation that 10-15 million people will come to Assam from Bangladesh to claim citizenship. This section is trying to destabilise peace and stability," he said.