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The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), representing student unions across the eight northeastern states, continued its demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) today.

 

Members burned copies of the recently announced CAA rules and reiterated their demand for the law's repeal.

 

NESO's chief advisor, Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya, pledged the organisation's commitment to peaceful agitation. He highlighted Tuesday's similar protests and vowed that the NESO's movement against the CAA would continue.

 

Assam's Congress party president, Bhuepen Kumar Borah, echoed these sentiments, vowing to fight the CAA "on the streets, in court, and at the ballot box."

 

He highlighted Assam's long-standing immigration concerns and emphasised adherence to the 1985 Assam Accord's provisions.

 

Borah accused the BJP of betraying its pre-election promise to deport illegal immigrants and criticised the party's alleged prioritisation of vote bank politics over Assam's interests.

 

Anti-CAA protests organised by opposition parties and civil society groups entered their third day today. Students from various colleges and universities joined the demonstrations, holding rallies outside their campuses.

 

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) organised "satyagraha" protests in all district headquarters.

 

The organisation had previously conducted torchlight processions and dispatched a delegation to New Delhi to pursue a legal challenge against the CAA in the Supreme Court.

 

Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia also filed an interlocutory application seeking a stay on the CAA's implementation.

 

These protests reflect widespread unease among Assam's indigenous communities who believe the CAA violates the Assam Accord.

 

The Accord mandated the detection and deportation of all those who entered the state from Bangladesh after March 24, 1971.

 

The CAA offers a path to Indian citizenship for Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India before 2015. 

 

However, critics argue that the legislation discriminates based on religion and undermines the secular character of the Indian constitution.

 

The Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, Left parties, and Trinamool Congress have all pledged to continue peaceful and democratic protests.

 

Trinamool Congress plans to burn copies of the CAA rules in all district headquarters tomorrow.

 

A 12-hour shutdown called by the United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA) on Tuesday reportedly had a limited impact.

 

The Assam Police had earlier warned of legal action against any party failing to comply with its directive to withdraw the shutdown call.

 

Security forces have been deployed across the state, with a focus on sensitive areas.

 

Patrolling has been intensified, and check-posts have been established in major towns and cities.

 

These measures echo the security arrangements implemented during the widespread anti-CAA protests of 2019.