Activists of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) marching to gherao the Assam State Secretariat here to protest the new citizenship law were arrested on Saturday as a preventive measure, officials said.
Slogan-shouting AJYCP activists from Tinsukia in Upper Assam, who were marching towards the Secretariat, were stopped at Khanapara area in Dispur, officials said.
The AJYCP demonstrators were arrested and taken in buses to a temporary jail in 4 Assam Police Battalion headquarters in Kahilipara area before they were released later, officials added.
In a gazette notification on Friday, the Centre had announced that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will come into force from January 10.
Students of the premier Cotton University gathered at 11.30 p.m. on Friday to protest against the new law and burnt effigies of the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and Assam Chief Minister. They said that the people of Assam would not accept CAA.
Service rules
The Assam College Teachers’ Association staged a demonstration in Guwahati against the CAA despite a State government order warning government servants against expressing any opinion or statement criticising the government, which is a violation of service rules.
“We are not interfering on political issues. But we have a constitutional right to freedom of speech as citizens of India to express opposition to the CAA”, a member of the ACTA said, adding that they had not in anyway adversely affected the normal functioning of colleges or examinations.
Protests continue
The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and AJYCP continued with their anti-CAA democratic protest meetings at Sadia, Guwahati, Nagaon, Jorhat and many other places across the State on Saturday.
Reacting to the Centre notifying the CAA, AASU president Dipanka Nath said the people of the State have to remain united against the government move and continue with their ongoing protest till it was repealed.
AASU general secretary Luringjyoti Gogoi said it is a legal fight along with other organisations in Assam will continue.
