Protests against the Indian Citizenship (Amendment) Bill intensified Wednesday in the northeastern states with the administration imposing a curfew in Guwahati of the country's Assam till indefinite period.
The administration also suspended mobile internet services in Assam’s ten districts as a precautionary measure — Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup. The services shall remain suspended from 7 pm Wednesday to 7 pm Thursday.
The Indian Army stated that the civil administration has requested its assistance in maintaining law and order situation in Assam and Tripura.
“Three Army columns requisitioned by civil administration so far in Tripura and Assam. Two (Tripura) are deployed and third (Assam) is standby,” the Army statement said.
Also, PTI reported that the 5,000 paramilitary personnel have been airlifted to Northeastern states, including Assam, for the maintenance of law and order in wake protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which is being debated in Parliament.
Nearly 20 companies (2,000 personnel) have been withdrawn from Kashmir, where they had been sent prior to the Centre’s decision on August 5 to dilute Article 370.
The controversial Bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha with a 311-80 margin at 12.02 am Tuesday, was tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
In Assam, students proceeded towards the state secretariat in large numbers, broke barricades and clashed with the police. The police resorted to lathicharge and fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets at the demonstrators.
Source: Indian Express