Curfew To Be Lifted In Guwahati On Tuesday, Broadband Net Also To Be Back

The Assam government on Monday announced that curfew in the state capital, imposed on December 11 in the wake of violent protests against the citizenship law, will be lifted from 6 am on Tuesday, an official statement said. The broadband internet service which has been suspended at the same time will also resume across the state from Tuesday morning.

The decisions were taken at a law and order review meeting by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. "It has been decided to lift the curfew completely in Guwahati from 6 am tomorrow," the statement said.

However, the statement did not mention anything about resumption mobile internet service or lifting of curfew from other places.

Indefinite curfew in the state capital was relaxed in the last three days. On Monday, it was relaxed from 6 am to 9 pm. Night curfew in Guwahati, however, continued. In Dibrugarh district, curfew was eased off from 6 am to 8 pm.

Earlier in the day, suspension of internet services were extended by another 24 hours till tomorrow across Assam, making the state internet-free since last Wednesday.

Assam has witnessed one of the worst violent protests by the public in its history with three rail stations, a post office, a bank, a bus terminus, shops, dozens of vehicles and many other public properties being set ablaze or damaged.

Five persons, including four in firing by security forces, have lost their lives since Wednesday.

After the Rajya Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday night, the state erupted in protests, in which agitators engaged in pitched battles with the police in almost every major city or town, forcing the administration to impose curfew.