AASU, NESO call Northeast bandh on Jan 8 against Citizenship Bill

Guwahati :  The All Assam Students Union (AASU), the North East Students Organization (NESO) and 30 other groups have announced a series of protests in Assam over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

Leaders of these outfits representing different indigenous communities of Assam met here on Saturday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared in Silchar that the his government was going ahead with the controversial Bill.

"We have called for a bandh in the entire northeast on January 8 in protest against the BJP-led government's move to pass the controversial Bill. A total dawn to dusk bandh will be observed in all the states," said NESO adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya.

The organisations have also decided to observe January 7 as a black day in Assam. A public rally will be held in Guwahati on January 23.

"The Prime Minister's statement exposed the double standard of his government. While the government talks of implementing the Assam Accord, the same government is trying to give citizenship to illegal migrants living in Assam by implementing the Citizenship Bill 2016. We are not going to tolerate this at any cost," AASU General Secretary Lurin Jyoti Gogoi said.

He called Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal a "puppet" and said the government in the state had failed to respect the sentiments of the people of Assam.

On Saturday, a total of 70 groups led by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) organised a massive protest rally in Guwahati.

KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi dared the Asom Gana Parishad to snap ties with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.