Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: Northeast Frontier Railway cancels, reschedules several trains
In view of the massive protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Assam, The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) has cancelled many trains and rescheduled a few that originated from Assam. At least 14 trains have either been cancelled, short terminated or diverted anticipating "disruptions in train movement," NF Railway chief public relations officer Subhanan Chanda said in a statement. Out of these, eight trains have been "completely" cancelled, while the rest have been short terminated, the statement further stated.
The Avadh Assam Express is rescheduled to originate from New Tinsukia and will remain cancelled between Dibrugarh and New Tinsukia.
The Ledo Guwahati Intercity Express, Dibrugarh Furketing Guwahati Intercity Express, Naharlagun Tinsukia Intercity Express and Dekargaon Dibrugarh Intercity Express have been fully cancelled.
Fresh protests erupted in the state on Wednesday against CAD. Though no organisation has called for a bandh on Wednesday, people have come out in large numbers in Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Bongaigaon, Nagaon, Sonitpur and several other districts since morning.
Tyres were burnt and logs placed on the roads and rail tracks to stop movement of vehicles and trains across the state.
Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse protesters to clear the roads and rail tracks near Chaulkhowa in Dibrugarh.
Rubber bullets were fired and lathicharge was carried out against agitators at Moran in the district, police said.
The Bill, which was passed in the lower house of Parliament with 311 votes in favour of, and 80 against it on Monday, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, Buddhists, Jains from three neighbouring countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. According to the proposed legislation, non-Muslim migrants who fled their respective countries and came to India before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution, will be given Indian citizenship.
(With PTI inputs)
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