Curfew has been relaxed on Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm in Guwahati in Assam. Widespread protests have been taking place against the Citizenship Amendment Act in several parts of the country.
The bill became an act after President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday gave assent to it, which led widespread agitation across the country. According to the Act, members of the Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh till December 31, 2014, and were facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants and granted Indian citizenship.
Transportation took a hit on Friday due to ongoing protests against the amended Citizenship Act throughout the country. Over 100 trains were either cancelled or short terminated by Northeast Frontier Railway. Buses too did not ply in Guwahati, which has been the epicenter of the violence. Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Guwahati airport. They have been stuck for several hours due to the violent protests.
The Jamia Millia Islamia University on Friday turned into a battlefield after police and students, who wanted to march to Parliament House to protest, clashed with each other. Fifty students were detained following a clash between police and students after the protestors were stopped at the varsity gate and prevented from carrying out their march. The students, who were baton-charged by police personnel, alleged that the police also used tear gas to quell their march. The students also resorted to stone-pelting. However, the protestors alleged that police resorted to stone-pelting first and students threw stones in response to the attack. The police had cordoned off the road and protestors were seen climbing onto barricades.
The Shiv Sena on Friday attacked the Centre, saying it brought the new citizenship law to show it is the sole saviour of Hindus and asked what kind of politics it is playing by inviting uncalled for pain after the move caused violence in the north-eastern states.
(With inputs from agencies)
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