Protests against Citizenship Bill continue in Assam Sonowal shown black flags
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Guwahati: Protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill continued for the fourth week in Assam and state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was shown black flags in Chirang district on Monday.
Students Federation of India activists waved black flags at Sonowal's convoy when he was on way from the helipad to a school he was to inaugurate in Bijni town.
The protestors were then forcibly removed and three persons were taken into custody, the police department said.
In Dhubri district on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra river, various political, social and students organisations took out a massive rally to protest against the Bill and demanded its withdrawal.
The Bill, passed in Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
A large section of people in the northeast have opposed the Bill, saying it would nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.
Protests against it have been continuing in the northeast for nearly four weeks.
The Asom Gana Parishad, which withdrew support to the ruling BJP in the state over the Bill on January 8, has decided to support the 70 organisations, led by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), agitating against the Bill.
AGP chief Atul Bora and his party colleague Keshab Mahanta, who had resigned as ministers in the state government, and MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita met KMSS chief Akhil Gogoi and representatives of the 70 organisations Sunday night and pledged their support to their campaign.
The Asom Jatityatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad said on Monday it would launch a 'padayatra' from January 26, organise state-wide protests on January 30 and stage a rail blockade on February 7 against the Bill.
The state government employees' organisation Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad too extended its support to the agitation led by All Assam Students Union against the Bill.
