In a display of opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee organized a protest rally at Rajiv Bhawan, featuring the burning of copies of the Act. The demonstration aimed to express the collective disapproval of the CAA's implementation prompting heightened security measures and the placement of barricades at various locations across the state.
The rally follows Monday's announcement by the Centre regarding the commencement of the CAA 2019, a move that comes four years after the law's passage by Parliament. The legislation enables the granting of Indian nationality to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. The decision triggered widespread protests across Assam, with the opposition condemning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at both the state and central levels.
Speaking to India Today, Debabrata Saikia, the leader of the opposition party, expressed disappointment, accusing the ruling BJP of betraying the people of Assam. Saikia highlighted Prime Minister Modi's assurances in 2014, wherein he pledged to evict foreign nationals from Assam after assuming office. Saikia asserted that the CAA's implementation violates the Assam Accord, which dictates that only individuals present in Assam before 1971 should be considered legal residents.
Saikia further emphasized the potential threat to Assam's linguistic identity, calling for the exemption of Assam and the Northeast from the CAA. He urged the government to execute a scheme akin to those implemented during Nehru's tenure, accommodating displaced persons in other parts of India. Saikia argued that such a move would honor the Assam Accord, which played a crucial role in bringing peace to the region after periods of violence.
As the opposition intensifies its stance against the CAA the state remains on edge, with security measures implemented to manage potential unrest amid widespread dissent.