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Widespread protests against the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) swept across Assam on Tuesday, marked by the burning of effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, along with copies of the controversial law.

 

The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) led the incendiary display by burning effigies of the prime minister and the home minister in Lakhimpur.

 

Concurrently, the Congress voiced its dissent by torching copies of the law in various locales of the district.

 

In a powerful demonstration of opposition, Congress workers, spearheaded by Leader of the Opposition in the Assam assembly Debabrata Saikia, assembled at the party's state headquarters, Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati.

 

There, they symbolically burnt copies of the Act in protest.

 

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) joined the chorus of disapproval, staging protests against the CAA in Guwahati and Rangia town in Kamrup. Similarly, students from different colleges organized demonstrations outside their respective institutions within the city.

 

In Sivasagar district, a coalition of activists from Raijor Dal, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, and the Chatra Mukti Parishad, alongside MLA Akhil Gogoi, raised their voices against the contentious law, denouncing the central government.

 

Reports of burning copies of the CAA emerged from Barpeta and Nalbari, attributed to the Congress and the AJYCP, respectively.

 

Despite the 12-hour 'Sarbatamak Hartal' called by the 16-party United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA), response remained subdued. 

 

However, select districts including Sivasagar, Golaghat, Nagaon, and Kamrup witnessed closure of shops and business establishments.

 

The Assam Police issued notices to opposition parties, urging them to retract the hartal over the CAA implementation, warning of "legal action" if they persisted.

 

''Notices were served by the Assam Police to ensure that there is no damage to public property and risk to life of the people through any forceful agitation in the state," Director General of Police G P Singh said.

 

Criticising the notices issued by the Assam Police, Congress leader Debabrata Saikia said it was ''shameful that the state police department was acting at the behest of the BJP government''.

 

''We will continue to protest against the implementation of the Act peacefully and democratically," he said.

In Sonitpur, Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was enforced, prohibiting public gatherings and demonstrations to avert potential unrest.

 

Security measures were intensified statewide, with bolstered police presence, including commandos, in sensitive areas. 

 

Patrols were heightened, and check-posts erected along major thoroughfares, reminiscent of the protests that gripped the state in 2019.

 

Meanwhile, the All Assam Students' Union and 30 indigenous non-political organizations announced torchlight processions and a satyagraha, signaling sustained opposition to the Act.

 

A delegation from AASU departed for New Delhi to pursue legal recourse in the Supreme Court against the legislation, reaffirming their unwavering stance against the CAA.