Statewide bandh in Assam, protestors block rail tracks, burn tyres against Citizenship Bill 2016

GUWAHATI: At least 46 organisations in Assam are holding a 12-hour statewide bandh against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 on Tuesday. The protesters put up blockades on rail tracks to disrupt train services across the state. Police said that they had to forcefully evict protestors who were sitting on the tracks. Demonstrators also burnt tyres on roads in various places of the state.

Police are closely monitoring public transport vehicles to ensure law and order is maintained in the state. Security personnel are providing escorts to public transport vehicles to ensure transport services functioned normally during the bandh.

The 46 outfits which have called for a bandh include the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP). They are protesting against the Centre's bid to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, in the Winter Session of Parliament.

Shops remain closed in Guwahati as a 12-hour statewide bandh has been called by over 40 organisations in Assam against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 pic.twitter.com/vcRHA7uGi1

— ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2018

Political parties, including the Congress and the AIUDF, have extended their support to the bandh in the interest of Assam and its indigenous people.

All district magistrates and superintendents of police had been instructed by the BJP government in the state to take measures to maintain public utility services in view of the bandh call. Government said that necessary measures were being taken to thwart the bandh call in view of the judgement of the Gauhati High Court.

The deputy commissioners of respective districts had issued orders that all government officials should attend to their duties.

Assam: #Visuals from Guwahati as a 12-hour statewide bandh has been called by over 40 organisations against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 pic.twitter.com/EmLx8kIPYA

— ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2018

It also said that shops, business establishments, educational institutions should remain open and transport facilities should function normally.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and entered India before December 31, 2014.

State Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Monday that the Gauhati High Court had ruled that calling a bandh was an illegal act and so the statewide bandh called by 46 organisations on Tuesday cannot be allowed as it will amount to contempt of court.

KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi said this was the first time that they had called a bandh and they would not call it off as the very "existence of Assamese and their identity was at stake by the Bill".