Lok Sabha passes Citizenship Amendment Bill

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said: " It is the central government's responsibility that the identity, culture of the Assamese people are protected."

He said the bill is not a threat to the people of Assam.

"Our government committed towards NRC and citizens of Assam," Singh said.

Singh said the Bill was not Assam-specific.

AGP departs:

In a major setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party before the coming Lok Sabha elections, the Asom Gana Parishad on Monday withdrew support from the saffron party-led government in Assam.

The oldest NDA ally in Assam severed ties with the BJP over the Citizen Amendment Bill.

The announcement in this regard was made by AGP president Atul Bor.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, aims to give citizenship to Hindu, Parsi, Sikh, Jain and Christian migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The AGP is opposed to the Bill, saying such a measure will destroy Assam by allowing an influx of Bangladeshi Hindus.

The Asom Gana Parishad had in October took out a rally against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Guwahati.

Bandh in Assam:

An 11-hour North East bandh has been called by the North East Student’s Organisation (NESO), All Assam Students Union (AASU) and 30 other indigenous organisations on Tuesday to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016  turned violent after bandh supporters hurled stones and attacked vehicles in different parts of Assam.

The bandh supporters vandalised several vehicles in Guwahati and other parts of the state during the bandh that began amid tight security at 5 am.

They also e attacked employees and vandalised the BJP office in Dibrugarh and Golaghat and  the office of a private company at Palashbari area in  Kamrup district.

Several bandh supporters pelted vehicles with stones  on National Highway  31  in the Banekuchi area of  lower Assam’s Nalbari district.