Citizenship Bill: PM Modi, Union ministers will not be allowed to enter Assam, says farmers' group

The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and its 70 partner organisations on Wednesday vowed to not let Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers enter Assam till the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 was scrapped. Addressing a press conference, KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi said they will also protest in all meetings and functions of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs in the state. "Till the time the bill is withdrawn, the Prime Minister, Central ministers and other BJP leaders will not be allowed to enter Assam," Gogoi said. "We will not allow them to hold any function, be it official or non-official, in the state. Everywhere, black flags will be shown," he added.

Obstructions will be created in their every function, including political rallies for the Lok Sabha polls, Gogoi said.

"We will also not allow the Chief Minister and other BJP MLAs to hold any meeting or official function in the state. We will show black flags wherever they go," he added.

Flanked by other leaders of the groups, Gogoi said if the Rajya Sabha passes the bill on Wednesday, then a "civil disobedience movement" will begin from Thursday.

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 years currently even if they do not possess any document.

Protests against the bill intensified in different parts of Assam on Wednesday with the effigies of Modi and Sonowal being burnt by the agitators.

A 'funeral procession' of the government was staged and torchlight marches were taken out by prominent citizens while some protesters even gheraoed the state secretariat.