All Assam Students Union holds anti-CAA torchlight march, faces lathicharge by police

As All Assam Students Union (AASU) on Friday night took out torchlight processions as a mark of protest against contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), ahe of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah visit, Police lathicharged on m, as per local media reports. In Guwahati, police barriced AASU hequarters ''Swahid Bhawan'' and did t allow protesters to move out with torchlights, but students'' body std ir protest behind barriers.  police detained several AASU activists in Tezpur.  protesters shouted slogans against Modi, Shah and Sowal and demanded that CAA and EIA be repealed along with implementation of report of Clause Six Committee.

AASU visor Samujjal Bhattacharya and president Dipanka Kumar Nath were seen engd in a heated argument with police officers, who said rally would be allowed if y handed over torchlights. He was particularly critical of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sowal, who was president of AASU when Bhattacharya was its general secretary, for sending police to quell protest. "It was from Swahid Bhawan that Sowal reached chief minister''s office and w he is sending force to stop democratic and peaceful protests. This is shameful and we condemn this," he said.

" constitutional safeguard under Clause 6 of Assam Accord is our democratic right and t any charity by prime minister or home minister. Our protests will continue till se demands are fulfilled," AASU leer asserted.

AASU will st protests in all district and sub-divisional hequarters by covering ir faces with a black cloth during Modi's visit on Saturday, and observe ''Black Day'' on January 24 by burning copies of CAA during home minister's visit.

NRC exercise and CAA have been opposed in Assam and AASU alleges that Central government has violated  Clause 6 of Assam Accord - which guarantees constitutional, legislative and ministrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote culture, social, linguistic identity and herit of Assamese people. 

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Assam Assembly Elections 

election to 126-member Assam assembly is likely to be held in March-April 2021 where BJP eyes to retain state. Assam witnessed massive protests against CAA-NRC-NPR, as  Assamese people fear a massive inrush of migrants which will threaten ir indigeus culture - violating Assam accords. BJP is yet to convince state subjects of merits of CAA, after disastrous NRC drive which resulted in exclusion of 19 lakh citizens.

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BJP and its stance on CAA

On December 6, senior BJP leer Kailash Vijayvargiya said that Citizenship (Amendment) Act is likely to be implemented from January next year. Vijayvargiya ded that Centre is keen to grant citizenship to large refugee population in state. He also accused ruling Trinamool Congress government of t being sympatic to cause of refugees.

However, on December 20, Home Minister Amit Shah said that  rules of CAA are yet to be framed and law will be acted upon after COVID vaccine iculation is done. "Rules of CAA are yet to be framed. Due to Coronavirus, such a massive drive cant be undertaken and hence after iculation, we will think about it," said Shah. When asked about his 'understand chrology' remark, Shah said, "Let first part of chrology be fulfilled".

Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) seeks to grant citizenship to n-Muslim migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to country from Pakistan, Banglesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014.  Parliament passed Citizenship Amendment Bill on December 11, 2019, and President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12.

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