ASM, Opposition Parties Protest CAA Cut-off Extension in Assam

The Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASM) staged a protest in Chachal on Thursday against the Centre’s decision to extend the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) cut-off date to December 31, 2024. Leaders from CPI(M), Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), and Congress joined the demonstration, denouncing both the order and alleged corruption involving state leaders.

AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi warned that Assam would face the greatest impact, accusing the BJP of betraying promises to deport illegal migrants. He cautioned that repeated extensions threaten the state’s identity, culture, and land, urging people to continue the protest movement.

The Assam Congress also slammed the notification as a “vote-bank strategy” and demanded that the state government refuse to implement it.

The Centre’s Gazette Notification, issued Wednesday, exempts non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bhutan who entered India up to December 31, 2024, from travel document requirements. The move has reignited opposition in Assam, with political leaders and student groups calling it a violation of the Assam Accord of 1985.