Oppn Cong, AIUDF stage protest over CAB,NRC in Assam Assembly

The winter session of the Assam Assembly began on a stormy note on Thursday with the opposition Congress and AIUDF protesting against the Citizens (Amendment) Bill and the state government's move to cancel the NRC, lying down outside the House after being prevented from pressing for acceptance of their adjournment motion.

As soon as the house assembled for the day, opposition Congress and AIUDF tried to raise the two contentious issues through an adjournment motion after oaths were administered to the four newly elected MLAs.

"Speaker Sir, we gave you an adjournment motion to discuss two very crucial issues of NRC and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Please allow us to raise these," Congress MLA and former minister Ajanta Neog said.

When the speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami did not give permission and directed to raise the matter after the Question Hour, members of the two parties rushed to the well of the house, shouting slogans and displaying placards.

"We will not allow to cancel the NRC", "Cancel the anti- Assam CAB", "Implement every clause of the Assam Accord", "Inquilab Zindabad" and "Jai Aai Asom" were some of the slogans raised inside the house.

Their slogans were countered by "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" by the ruling BJP MLAs in the treasury bench.

The placards by the proteting members of the two parties too mentioned similar slogans.

After some time, the Congress and AIUDF legislators staged a walkout from the house.

The Congress MLAs, including former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, then assembled at the entrance of the house and lay down on the verandah almost blocking the passage to go inside.

They shouted slogans against the BJP-led government and displayed the placards.

After end of the Question Hour, the speaker said in the house: "adjournment motion always comes after the Question Hour. We have to follow the rules. The opposition was playing to the gallery and it is not good.

"They violated rules and procedures of the house and I am hurt about that. This is unfortunate."
With the house continuing with its normal functioning thereafter without presence of the opposition MLAs, Parliamentary Affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said: "The Congress destroyed Assam and they do not have the right to say 'Jai Aai Asom' (Assam Mata ki Jai). During Congress rule, 855 youths were martyred."