Assam is Burning: CAB Protest near Secretariat turns Violent

Guwahati, December 11, 2019:

The protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Guwahati city of Assam have taken a turn for the worse, as thousands of protesters have surrounded the Secretariat in Dispur.

According to reports, the protesters have vowed to continue the agitation in the Assam capital until the controversial Bill is scrapped completely. Footage from the Assam capital also shows protesters pelting the security personnel with rocks.

Meanwhile, the authorities have attempted to disperse the angry mob with smoke bombs, tear gas shells, and water cannons.

It has been reported that the employees of the Secretariat also joined in the protests, buoyed by the thousands who had assembled outside the Assam Assembly grounds.

ALSO READ: Breaking: Assam Secretariat Employees Join Protest Against CAB

Meanwhile, the nation awaits the outcome of today's Rajya Sabha session, where the controversial Bill is currently being discussed.

According to reports, many protesters are still assembled at Dispur. A 'bandhi-like' situation can now be witnessed in Assam, as shops, schools, colleges, and Universities are closed down. Tyres are being burnt and roads are being blocked in several parts of the city as a mark of dissent against the Bill.

Apart from Guwahati, protests are being held in various other places of Assam. In Demow, peasant leader Akhil Gogoi has called for a total shutdown, whereas the situation in Tinsukia has also turned volatile.

The Bill that has sparked protests across the Northeast Indian region was passed in the Lok Sabha with an overwhelming majority, and must now be passed in the Rajya Sabha, so that it can become a law.

Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.