Opposition parties stage protest against CAA ahead of PM's visit to Assam

Guwahati: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in Assam on Friday on a two-day visit, opposition parties staged a protest in Kaliabor in Nagaon district against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

The sit-in by the 16-member United Opposition Forum, Assam (UOFA) was held near Kaziranga, where the PM is scheduled to spend the night after reaching the state in the afternoon.

UOFA spokesperson and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi said the protest was initially slated for Saturday but was held a day before at the request of Ahom community organisations.

"The prime minister will be unveiling a statue of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan. As such, the community requested us to change the date of the protest. Hence, we organised it a day earlier," Gogoi told reporters at the demonstration site.

He maintained that the CAA is a threat to the identity of the Assamese people, and they will continue protesting it.

State Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah, participating in the protest, said, "The government cannot stifle our voices. We had sought an appointment with the PM to apprise him of the opposition to the CAA in the state. But we are yet to hear from his office." Another senior Congress leader, Debabrata Saikia, also maintained that the protests against the CAA will continue.

"The government can use all tactics and power to suppress us. But the people are firm in their opposition to the CAA and we will continue with our protests," the leader of the opposition in the state assembly added.

The UOFA, All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and 30 other organisations had earlier announced holding protests against the CAA, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis entering India on or before December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after five years of residence here.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said that CAA rules would be notified and implemented before the Lok Sabha polls.

The UOFA had said that a state-wide bandh will be called the very next day the contentious act comes into force, followed by 'gherao' of the Janata Bhawan (the secretariat).

It had also submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, saying they would undertake a "democratic mass movement" across the state if the CAA is not repealed.

The AASU and 30 other groups took out motorcycle rallies across the state on Thursday against the contentious Act.

The organisations will light lamps before the portraits of five slain youths, who were killed in police firing during anti-CAA protests in 2019, on Friday, they said.

The state had witnessed massive protests after the Rajya Sabha passed the CAA on December 11, 2019, with agitators engaging in pitched battles with security forces, forcing the administration to impose curfew in several towns and cities.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged those opposing the CAA to approach the Supreme Court for redressal of their grievances rather than taking up agitations.