Agitations in northeast India against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill continued for the third consecutive day on Wednesday with various parties and NGOs including the North East Students' Organisation (NESO) urged the central government to "respect the sentiments of the people of the region".
A six-member delegation of the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), junior ally of the ruling BJP, went to Delhi on Wednesday to hold an urgent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the contentious Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
In view of the agitations, examinations in schools, colleges and universities were postponed in Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya.
The Northeast Frontier Railway, which operates trains in some parts of Bihar and West Bengal besides entire northeastern region, either cancelled or rescheduled many trains including Humsafar Express and Kanchanjunga Express.
The influential North East Students' Organisations (NESO), a conglomerate of eight students and youth bodies, spearheading the agitations against the CAB in the entire northeast region, has said that they would soon announce their next course of action on the issue.
NESO Chairman Samuel B. Jyrw and General Secretary Sinam Prakash Singh in a joint statement said that in spite of the widespread protests in the entire northeast India, the government has passed this bill in the Lok Sabha and is trying to pass it in the Rajya Sabha as well.
"That only goes to show that the government of India has no regard for the indigenous people of the region, but rather this move is intentionally done to reduce the aboriginal people of the northeast to a minority in their own land. The total success of the 10-hour long strke on Tuesday in the region, only goes to show that the entire northeast is united in spite of the government trying to implement the divide and rule policy," the statement said.
In Assam, protests erupted in different parts of the BJP-ruled state on Wednesday with the security forces resorting to lathi-charge in Dispur, Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Jorhat to disperse the protesters.
At least 25 protesters including women and some journalists and television crews were injured in the lathi-charge and clashes. The agitators are mostly youths and students.
Normal life in many parts of Assam was badly affected due to the agitations and cancellations of many trains and buses besides shutting down of shops and business establishments.
Though the senior police officials claimed that the situation in most parts of Assam is under control, huge tension is prevailing in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Dispur and other places of the state.
A large contingent of police and central para-military forces led by senior police officials were deployed to deal with the situations.
In Tripura, the Joint Movement Against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (JMACAB), a conglomeration of many tribal local and regional parties, NGOs and student and youth organisations of Tripura, led by Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), Tripura's one of the oldest tribal based parties, held sit-in-demonstrations against the CAB in different parts of Tripura on Wednesday.
The mobile based internet services remain suspended across Tripura for the second day on Wednesday. Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPc have been promulgated in some parts of West Tripura, specially in Sepahijala, Dhalai and North Tripura districts after Tuesday's violence, clashes and attacks.
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb while talking to the media said that the agitations against the CAB are unnecessary and against the development of Tripura.
"Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already made it clear that with the enforcement of the CAB, no community or individual belonging to northeast region would be affected," said Deb, who also holds the home portfolio.
IPFT Assistant General Secretary and party spokesman Mangal Debbarma told IANS over phone from Delhi that the party delegation led by party General Secretary and Tripura Forest and Tribal Welfare Minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia would meet Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning and would urge him to withdraw the CAB.
Debbarma said that Mevar Kumar Jamatia and other IPFT leaders held a meeting with NEDA convenor and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati on Monday and urged him to take up the CAB issue with the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister.
LS poll: Tripura Minister to reward polling stations recording highest vote percentage
Tripura Minister and senior BJP leader Ratan Lal Nath on Tuesday announced Rs 2 lakh reward for the polling stations in five Assembly constituencies which will record the highest percentage of votes in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
BJP winning 35 seats in Bengal will guarantee freedom from illegal infiltration: Amit Shah
If the BJP winning 18 seats in West Bengal during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls can ensure the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, bagging 35 seats this time will surely guarantee freedom from illegal infiltration,
CM Kejriwal, K Kavitha’s judicial custody extended in money laundering case till May 7
A Delhi court on Tuesday extended till May 7 the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS leader, K Kavitha in the money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam case.
Polling to West Tripura PC: Returning Officer claims of free and fair election, says issues inquired and addressed
In response to various issues raised in the newspapers regarding election in 1-West Tripura Parliamentary constituency held on April 19 last, the Returning Officer assured that all the issues have been inquired and adequately addressed.
Misleading advertisements case: Issued public apologies across 67 newspapers, Patanjali tells SC
Patanjali Ayurved on Tuesday apprised the Supreme Court that it has issued public apologies for publishing misleading advertisements.
It is PM Modi's guarantee that all passengers will get confirmed tickets in next 5 years: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Union Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday that in the next five years, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee that almost any passenger who wants to travel can easily get a confirmed ticket.
PM Modi steps up attack on Congress, says ‘it wanted to bring quota on basis of religion’
Addressing a mega public rally in Rajasthan’s Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, PM Modi doubled down on his attack amid a series of accusations by the Congress.
DMs, SPs of violence-hit MP districts transferred
The farmers agitation entered its eighth day on Thursday. The peasants have been on strike since June 1, demanding loan waiver and fair price for their produce.