Assam: Sec 144 imposed in Sonitpur district

In the wake of protests in the state over The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Section 144, which prohibits assembly of more than four people in an area, has been imposed in Assam's Sonitpur district.

"Section 144 has been imposed in the district in the wake of protests over Citizenship Amendment Bill," said Sonitpur Superintendent of Police, Sanjeet Kumar Krishna.

Debate over the Bill is currently going on in the Lok Sabha.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

Through this Bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.