Anti-corruption activist and farmers’ body leader Akhil Gogoi and his supporters were arrested on Sunday morning for protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, ahead of Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah’s visit to Assam, PTI reported. Shah is in Guwahati to attend the third conclave of the North East Democratic Alliance.
The bill, a pet project of the BJP, aims to make certain crucial changes to the Citizenship Act of 1955. It allows illegal migrants who are Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh to become eligible for citizenship. It also eases the terms of naturalisation for individuals from these groups.
Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti members, headed by Gogoi, gathered in various parts of Guwahati to wave black flags as a mark of protest over the proposed bill. “It is our democratic right to protest, the police are behaving in a high-handed manner,” Gogoi told reporters after he was arrested near Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra where the BJP president was scheduled to attend the meeting.
Gogoi appealed to protestors to continue their agitation peacefully without getting provoked. “The bill is dangerous and harmful to the indigenous people of the state and we will continue our protest to ensure that it is not passed by Parliament,” PTI quoted him as saying.
Gogoi, who has been leading an agitation against the government’s handling of the farming crisis in Assam, was arrested on charges of sedition in September. Gogoi has also been fighting against the dams being built, the land mafia and corruption in public life. In December, the Gauhati High Court had quashed a detention order under the National Security Act against him. He was later released on bail.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!