Protests against the amended Citizenship Act ripped through the nation as violent agitations reached West Bengal and Delhi even as Assam, which was on boil on Thursday, remained calm. Anti-CAB agitations were also registered in Aligarh, Ahmedabad and Goa as people demanded an immediate withdrawal of the amendment in the Citizenship Act, which provides citizenship to non-Muslims refugees who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan in an attempt to flee religious persecution.
West Bengal Burns
Multiple Muslims organisations in West Bengal gave a clarion call to stage protests against the amended Citizenship Act after the Friday namaz. Peaceful protests against the exclusion of Muslim migrants in the CAB were observed in Kolkata, Arambagh, West Midnapur, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. However, agitations in Howarah and Murshidabad turned violent.
Meanwhile, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reviewed the situation of law and order in the state as several people staged protests against the amended Citizenship Act. To review the situation, Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with Bengal DG, ADG and top other officials.
CM Mamata Banerjee slammed the Centre for bringing in the amendment to Citizenship Act. She termed the CAB 'torture upon humanity'.
"When the house is on fire, one must not consider religion. CAB is torture upon humanity and also on the poor people. They consider the poor people to be a fool. We stand by the poor, farmers and workers," she said. "An elected government is supposed to work by abiding the constitution but they are working only for their personal gain. By trying to remove people out of the country, you yourself will be removed. Just because one has the majority, one cannot do anything they feel on their will."
Meanwhile, Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has appealed to everyone to maintain peace and calm.
Jamia Protests Rock Capital
National capital Delhi was also rocked by anti-CAB stirs as students of Jamia Milia Islamia University took to streets to protest against the exclusion of Muslim immigrants from the provisions of new Citizenship Act.
Stone-pelting, lathicharge, tear-gas shelling and barricade charging were reported from the scene of the agitation as the student protest turned violent. At least three Delhi policemen were injured and 50 students were detained.
The students had clashed with the police after they were stopped from taking out a march to Parliament House from the university campus on Friday to express their opposition to the amended Citizenship Act.
Also Read: CAB Protest: Students pelt stones in Jamia, Patel Chowk and Janpath Metro stations closed
The protestors tried to then walk towards the Escorts red light but were stopped by the massive police deployment. When the Jamia students tried to jump the barricade there was a scuffle between the protesting students and the police which lead to the lathicharge.
Some protestors present on the ground claimed that the police pelted stones first.
According to Shifa Ur Rehman Khan, President of the Jamia Old Boys Association, "Around 56 students have been injured in the altercation with the police and 60 of them detained at the Badarpur police station. Messages of support are coming in from Jamia alumni from all around the world and the university faculty and employees are also also standing with us in support. The locals have also joined the students. CAB is unconstitutional and our protest shall not end till it has been scrapped."
Assam Remains Under Lockdown
Assam, which had witnessed unprecedented violence on Thursday, remained under a strict lockdown as 26 columns of Army kept a check on violence. Few vehicles plied on Guwahati roads as curfew and internet shutdown remained in place.
While several flights to Guwahati airport were cancelled, the passengers who came in on the few operating flights found themselves stranded on the airport as no taxis operated on city roads.
The situation remained calm as the All Assam Students Union (AASU) announced that no protest will be held for a week against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act as the matter awaits hearing the Supreme Court.
At least 106 passenger trains were either cancelled or short terminated by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in view of disruptions in train movement following protests against amended Citizenship Act since Wednesday.