Citizenship Bill: Mobile Internet Suspended In Various Parts Of Assam; Curfew Imposed In Guwahati

The government of Assam warned the people saying that violation of the "promulgation" will be punishable under Section 188 IPC and also under the relevant Provision of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.

College students along with locals burn tyres during their protest strike against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), in Tinsukia district of Assam. (Image: PTI)

Dispur (Assam): In view of the prevailing law and order situation, the mobile Internet will be suspended for 24 hours from 7 pm on Wednesday in Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (metro) and Kamrup districts of Assam. The decision comes in the wake of protests in the state against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Curfew was imposed in Assam's Guwahati as the stirs in northeast India against the Bill further intensified for the third consecutive day on Wednesday. Curfew was imposed in Assam's main city, Guwahati on Wednesday evening following the unprecedented protests against the Bill, officials said here. In view of the agitations, examinations in schools, colleges and universities were postponed in Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya. A senior police official said that the Curfew was imposed in Guwahati by the Kamrup district administration after the protest against the CAB turned violent and as the agitators set ablaze some vehicles in the city. The curfew is likely to continue till the situation improves. The district administration has also asked the Army to remain on standby. Huge contingent of central para-military and state security forces were deployed in Guwahati, Dispur and other troubled places in Assam. The Assam government also warned that violation of the "promulgation" will be punishable under Section 188 IPC and also under the relevant Provision of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. Meanwhile, Guwahati Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar said: "The curfew has been imposed in Guwahati (Assam) since 6:15 pm today. It will remain imposed until normalcy is restored here." The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, was passed with a majority of 311 votes against 80 votes in the Lok Sabha where 391 members were present and voting. The Northeast Frontier Railway, which operates trains in some parts of Bihar and West Bengal besides entire northeastern region, either cancelled or rescheduled many trains including Humsafar Express and Kanchanjunga Express. In Assam, protests erupted in different parts of the BJP-ruled state on Wednesday morning with the security forces resorting to lathi-charge in Dispur, Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Jorhat to disperse the protesters. At least 25 protesters including women and some journalists and television crews were injured in the lathi-charge and clashes. Normal life in many parts of Assam was badly affected due to the agitations and cancellations of many trains and buses besides shutting down of shops and business establishments. Though the senior police officials claimed that the situation in most parts of Assam is under control, huge tension is prevailing in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Dispur and other places of the state. A large contingent of police and central para-military forces led by senior police officials were deployed to deal with the situation. The Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees who came from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. In Tripura, the Joint Movement Against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (JMACAB), a conglomeration of many tribal local and regional parties, NGOs and student and youth organisations of Tripura, led by Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), held sit-in-demonstrations against the CAB in different parts of Tripura on Wednesday. The mobile based internet services remained suspended across Tripura for the second day on Wednesday. Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPc have been promulgated in some parts of West Tripura, Sepahijala, Dhalai and North Tripura districts after Tuesday's violence, clashes and attacks. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb while talking to media said that the agitations against the CAB are unnecessary and against the development of Tripura. (With inputs from agencies)