AJYCP protesters arrested as a preventive measure

Activists of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) marching to gherao the Assam state secretariat here to protest the new citizenship law were arrested on Saturday as a preventive measure, officials said.

Slogan shouting AJYCP activists from Tinsukia in Upper Assam marching towards the state secretariat were stopped at Khanapara area ahead of the secretariat in Dispur, officials said.

The AJYCP demonstrators were arrested and taken in buses to the temporary jail in 4 Assam Police battalion headquarters at Kahilipara area before they were released later, officials added.

As the Centre on Friday night in a gazette notification announced that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will come into force from January 10, students of the premier Cotton University here came out at 11.30 pm to protest against it and burnt effigies of Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and Assam Chief Minister shouting slogans against them and that people of Assam will not accept CAA.

The Assam College Teachers Association staged a demonstration in Guwahati against the CAA despite a state government order warning the government servants against expressing any opinion or statement criticising the government violating service rules.

"We are not interfering on political issues. But we have constitutional right to freedom of speech as citizens of India to express opposition to CAA", said a member of the ACTA adding, that they had not in anyway adversely affected the normal functioning of colleges or examinations.

The All Assam Students Union (AASU) and AJYCP continued with their anti-CAA democratic protest meetings at Sadia, Guwahati, Nagaon, Jorhat and many other places across the state on Saturday.

AASU president Dipanka Nath reacting to the Centre notifying the CAA, said the people of the state have to remain united against the government move and continue with their ongoing protest till it was repealed.

AASU general secretary Luringjyoti Gogoi said it's legal fight along with other organisations in Assam will continue.

In a gazette notification, the Union Home ministry on Friday said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act under which non- Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will be given Indian citizenship, will come into force from January 10.