Protest against Citizenship Amendment Bill in Guwahati

GUWAHATI: The Northeast Students’ Organization (NESO) and All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) held a protest in Guwahati today, against the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Protestors raised slogans against the citizenship bill throughout the march and opposed the Centre’s move.

The Parliament will take up the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 during the nearly-month long winter session which commenced from Monday.

The Citizenship Bill, a key BJP plank, aims at granting citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

The session, which will go on till December 13, will provide a total of 20 sittings spread over a period of 26 days including four Private Members’ days.

Mamata calls it a trap

Hitting out at the Centre,West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on November 18 called it a “trap to exclude Bengalis and Hindus” and expressed her stiff opposition to it.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, aims at granting citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

In February this year, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed in East and West Imphal districts ahead of the tabling of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Rajya Sabha. However, the Bill could not be passed.