According to India’s federal Home Ministry officials, the government has withdrawn around 5,000 troops from the restive Jammu and Kashmir region and sent them the violence-hit northeastern region to control the situation.
Centre starts withdrawing paramilitary forces from J-K, troops moved to Assam
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) December 11, 2019
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/7LQnoA7ZMg pic.twitter.com/os46fsjZtS
Protests have intensified in several areas of Assam over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill which seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from neighbouring countries.
Protests turned violent on Wednesday as clashes erupted between police and students at several places. Police opened fire in the air and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse an agitated crowd as they tried to block the busy streets of Guwahati, capital of the northeastern state of Assam.
#WATCH Assam: Protests continue against #CitizenshipAmmendmentBill2019, in Guwahati. Police also use tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. pic.twitter.com/5lul19ToTO
— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2019
A temporary stage and billboard of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe’s summit was also burnt down by protesters in Guwahati.
A temporary stage and a billiboard meant for Modi-Abe meet burnt down by protestors in Guwahati, #Assam. Massive clashes underway. #CitizenshipAmmendmentBill2019 pic.twitter.com/rhpMwHbNva
— Ahmer Khan (@ahmermkhan) December 11, 2019
In another video, hundreds can be seen breaking through the barricades and subsequently being charged baton-wielding police.
Massive Protest by d students Against #CAB2019 #Guwahati #AssamAgainstCAB #CitizenshipAmmendmentBill2019 #CountryAgainstBJP #CitizenshipBill #CitizenAmmendmentBill @GauravGogoiAsm @asadowaisi @OfficeofUT pic.twitter.com/6L8zGtm7dK
— SAYED ZAMAN (@SAYEDZAMAN5) December 11, 2019
Meanwhile, reports of large scale protests have also trickled down from other parts of the north-eastern region amid fears that the proposed legislation would destroy indigenous people’s identity in the region and increase the unemployment level further, as the limited economic opportunities might be cornered by refugees.
