Protests Erupt in Assam Against CAA Implementation, Opposition Unites in Resistance

Protests have erupted across Assam as opposition groups criticize the BJP government for implementing the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA). The act grants citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), which led a six-year agitation in 1979 demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants, vows to fight the legislation in and outside the court.

AASU, along with 30 indigenous non-political organizations, burned copies of the CAA and organized protest rallies in various parts of the state, including Guwahati, Kamrup, Barpeta, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, and Tezpur. The 16-party United Opposition Forum, Assam (UOFA), declared a statewide hartal on Tuesday and announced other agitational programs in a phased manner.

Security has been heightened across the state, with additional police personnel deployed following the act’s implementation. Police stations are on high alert, and barricades have been set up in major thoroughfares in towns previously affected by protests during the passage of the CAA in December 2019. AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharjya emphasized a commitment to a non-violent, peaceful, and democratic movement against the CAA, accompanied by continued legal efforts.