Torch rallies against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) were held at several places across Assam on Friday evening by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and several indigenous organizations ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on Saturday.
The PM is scheduled to address a public rally at Jerenga Pathar in Sivasagar district on Saturday and distribute land allotment certificates to over 1,06,000 landless people.
According to the department of information and public relations, the timing of the rally, which was due to begin at 11:30 am, has now been rescheduled to 10:00 am. Officials didn’t give any specific reason for the change.
AASU, which spearheaded the anti-CAA protests in the state in December 2019, launched a 3-day protest against the legislation beginning Friday.
Police resorted to baton-charge at a torch rally organised in Tezpur and in Guwahati a large rally was blocked by the police on Friday evening. Tension was also reported from Sivasagar and Dhekiajuli during similar rallies.
“Modi is coming to make false promises to Assamese people again before the assembly polls. We oppose the visit and Centre’s forcible enactment of CAA. We were carrying our peaceful protests, but the police restricted us from exercising our democratic right,” AASU general secretary Sankar Jyoti Baruah told journalists.
{{/usCountry}}“Modi is coming to make false promises to Assamese people again before the assembly polls. We oppose the visit and Centre’s forcible enactment of CAA. We were carrying our peaceful protests, but the police restricted us from exercising our democratic right,” AASU general secretary Sankar Jyoti Baruah told journalists.
{{/usCountry}}AASU and several other organizations have decided to greet PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah (who is scheduled to address rallies on Sunday) with black flags.