Centre committed to implement Clause 6 of Assam Accord, says CM Sonowal

Amid protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday said that the Centre is committed to implementing Clause 6 of the Assam Accord to safeguard the unique identity of Assam.

"I assure that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have very categorically stated the centre is committed to implementing the Clause 6 of Assam Accord in letter and spirit to ensure the constitutional safeguard to the people of Assam politically, culturally," Sonowal told ANI here.

According to Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, "Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people."

He also appealed to the people to maintain peace in the state as indefinite curfew has been imposed in Guwahati and Dibrugarh as protests against (CAB) continues.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave an assurance to the people of Assam that no one can take away their rights, unique identity and beautiful culture, amid protests in parts of the state against the CAB.

Mobile phones and Internet services have been suspended for 24 hours from 7 pm on Wednesday in ten districts of the state-Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (metro) and Kamrup.

According to Indian Army officials, five Army Columns have been requisitioned and deployed in Assam while three Assam Rifles columns requisitioned and deployed in Tripura.

The CAB smoothly sailed through Parliament after the Rajya Sabha passed it on Wednesday. As many as 125 members of the Upper House voted in favour while 105 MPs voted against the Bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha earlier this week.

The Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.