Assam: 136 cases of vandalism and related crimes registered so far, says Minister Biswa

As the curfew begins to relax in Guwahati and parts of Dibrugarh, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa on Monday, announced that there will be no curfew during the daytime. However, the curfew will remain imposed at night, to avoid any unforeseen circumstances, Biswa said. 

The Minister informed that in Assam, so far 136 cases of vandalism and other related crimes have been registered by the police, and 190 people have been arrested in connection with the cases of violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Assam. 

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was cleared by Parliament on December 11 and it became an Act thereupon, after the Presidential assent the next day. Violent protests broke out in the city and other parts of the state with agitators engaging in pitched battles with the police, forcing the administration to impose a curfew. As many as 26 Army columns had been deployed in Assam to assist the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to handle the situation.

READ | CAA: Curfew Eased Off In Guwahati And Parts Of Dibrugarh District Of Assam

Restrictions imposed in Assam

SMS and mobile internet services have been withdrawn since 5 pm on December 14, an official said. Banks and educational institutions have been shut since December 11 and the North Eastern Hill University has also postponed all examinations to February 2020. 

Death toll in the protest had doubled as four people lost their lives and many people succumbed to injuries caused by the police in Assam to date. The Assam Police has so far detained 1,460 protesters for indulging in violent agitations across the Northeastern state. In the wake of furious protests across Northeast opposing the implementation of CAA, the assembly will be holding a special one-day session on December 19 to allow the government to pass a resolution to demand the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.

READ | Assam: Amid protests, internet suspended for another day

Multiple protests have broken out across the country against the CAA, which allows non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to seek residence in India. The protests have erupted in different regions in the country, including New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, etc. 

(With inputs from ANI)