LIVE | Assam police 'order' Opposition parties to withdraw stir against CAA, warn of action
The 16-party United Opposition Forum, Assam (UOFA) has called a statewide hartal to protest against the implementation of the CAA
The Assam police have issued notices to opposition parties "ordering" them to "withdraw" the hartal over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA and warned that "legal action" will be taken against them if they fail to follow the diktat, officials said on Tuesday.
The 16-party United Opposition Forum, Assam (UOFA) has called a statewide hartal to protest against the implementation of the CAA.
"It has come to the notice of the undersigned from the Press Note dated 11th March, 2024 released by 'United Opposition Forum' that you and your organization have called for 'Sarbatmak Hartal' in Assam on 12th March, 2024 from 6 am to 6 pm. Whereas, as a result of the 'Sarbatmak Hartal', there is every likelihood of breach of peace and security leading to disruption of normal life of peace loving citizens in the state," said the identical legal notices, dated March 11, sent to the office-bearers of different parties.
"Further, calling of such 'Sarbatmak Hartal' will lead to Highway and Railway Track Blockade, which has been declared as illegal and unconstitutional by various judgements of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, Hon'ble Kerala High Court as well as Hon'ble Gauhati High Court," it added.
The notices "ordered" the parties to withdraw the hartal and co-operate in maintaining peace in the state.
"...failing which legal action will be taken against you in your personal capacity. Further, be known that in case there is any damage to public/private property including Railway and National Highway properties or injury to any citizen caused due to 'Sarbatmak Hartal', legal action under appropriate provisions of law... will be initiated against you and the total cost of damage to public and private properties will be recovered from you and your Organization," it said.
The notices were shared by Director-General of Police GP Singh on social media.
In a post on X, he said that the notices were served by the police to ensure there is no damage to public property and risk to the lives of the people by any agitation in the state.
Meanwhile, no untoward incident has been reported in the state so far, police said. Security has been tightened with additional deployment of police personnel. All police stations have been put on alert, patrolling has been intensified and check-posts have been set up on major thoroughfares in most towns of the state, including Guwahati which witnessed violent protests over the issue in December 2019, they said.
Nationality to non-Muslim migrants
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Centre on Monday (March 11) announced the implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.
With the CAA rules being issued, the Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants — Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians — from the three countries.
The CAA was passed in December 2019 and subsequently got the president's assent but there were protests in several parts of the country against it. The law could not come into effect as rules had not been notified till now.
Live Updates
- 12 March 2024 5:42 AM GMT
Security beefed up around Jamia Millia Islamia, police patrol northeast Delhi
Heavy police force was deployed around Jamia Millia Islamia on Tuesday morning while security was tightened in Delhi with paramilitary personnel conducting patrols and flag marches after the Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
A section of Jamia Millia Islamia students held a protest against CAA implementation on the campus on Monday evening, following which security was beefed up and paramilitary personnel deployed, a senior police officer told PTI.
The CAA bill was passed in Parliament on December 11, 2019, leading to protests across the country, including Delhi which witnessed months-long anti-CAA protests in 2019-2020 with Jamia Millia Islamia and Shaheen Bagh being the epicentres of the stir.
In early 2020, the city witnessed communal riots in its northeastern parts over the issue in which 53 people were killed and over 500 injured.
After the Centre implemented the CAA on Monday, notifying the rules four years after the contentious law was passed, police in Delhi's northeast district identified 43 hotspots and conducted patrols there. These areas include Seelampur, Jaffrabad, Mustafabad, Bhajanpura, Khajoori Khas and Seemapuri, an official said. Paramilitary personnel conducted night patrols and flag marches in Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar and many parts of northeast Delhi on Monday. The patrolling will continue on Tuesday also, he said.
- 12 March 2024 3:47 AM GMT
Historic blunder, says AIADMK on CAA notification
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has slammed the notification of the CAA rules, saying the Union government has made a "historic blunder" with its implementation and charged the ruling BJP at the Centre with doing so for political mileage.
He said the "AIADMK vehemently condemns this move which is aimed at dividing people ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to derive political mileage", even though it was not implemented for the past five years. "The Central government has committed a historic blunder with this. The AIADMK will never allow any attempt to implement it against indigenous people--the Muslims and Sri Lankan Tamils. AIADMK will join the people of the country to democratically oppose it," the State Leader of Opposition said in a late night 'X' post on Monday.
- 12 March 2024 3:25 AM GMT
Attack on parliamentary democracy: Sharad Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar has condemned the Centre's decision to notify the rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), saying the move just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls amounts to an attack on parliamentary democracy.
Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Pawar hit out at the Centre over the CAA notification which comes just ahead of the announcement of the schedule for Lok Sabha polls, likely to be held in April-May. "Such a decision days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls by the Election Commission of India (ECI) is an attack on parliamentary democracy. We condemn it," the former Union minister said.
The opposition NCP (SP) separately said the CAA decision has been taken to divert people's attention from the controversy over electoral bonds. "The CAA notification is a spin by the @BJP4India led government to take the attention away from the Electoral bonds issue," claimed Clyde Crasto, national spokesperson the Sharad Pawar-led NCP.
- 12 March 2024 3:16 AM GMT
JNU issues advisory, appeals students to maintain peace
Jawaharlal Nehru University has issued an advisory for its students, asking them to remain vigilant and maintain peace and harmony on the campus in view of the ongoing students' election process.
The advisory came hours after the Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 on Monday, notifying the rules four years after the contentious law was passed.
The CAA bill was passed in Parliament on December 11, 2019, leading to protests across the country. Protests erupted in the national capital's university campuses, including Jamia Millia Islamia, which had become the epicentre of the protests and saw police action against the agitating students.
The advisory released by JNU late on Monday evening stated, "In view of the ongoing students' election process on campus and various events being organised by the student bodies, all stakeholders of the campus are appealed to remain vigilant and contribute to maintaining peace and harmony on campus." "The administration firmly reiterates its commitment to zero tolerance towards any form of violence or indiscipline on campus and appeals to all stakeholders of the campus to desist from all such activities," it added.
The advisory did not mention if it was released in connection with the Centre's move.
After the CAA rules were notified on Monday, protests erupted on the Jamia Millia Islamia campus, leading to a heavy police deployment at the university. Security was also tightened in many parts of Delhi with paramilitary personnel conducting night patrols and flag marches in the northeastern parts of the city, Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar and other sensitive areas. PTI
- 11 March 2024 4:18 PM GMT
Uttar Pradesh on high alert
The Uttar Pradesh Police has made all its preparations and is on alert.
"We are already on alert. Our teams are patrolling. It (CAA) was expected and Uttar Pradesh Police is fully prepared to deal with any situation," UP acting Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said. He said state police has already done its groundwork for this.
- 11 March 2024 4:16 PM GMT
Protests erupt in Kerala
Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and other Left organisations have taken out protest marches across Kerala.
- 11 March 2024 3:26 PM GMT
Historic decision: MP CM Yadav
Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav has termed the implementation of the CAA as a historic decision and said the law will provide relief to persecuted minorities from three neighbouring countries seeking Indian nationality.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the implementation of the Act which was passed by Parliament in 2019.
“Another historic decision. Another important step has been taken and the Citizenship Amendment Act has been implemented today under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is dedicated to the welfare of humanity. I thank and congratulate PM Modi and Home Minister Shah for this historic decision,” Yadav said on his official X account.
The senior BJP leader said members of minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who had taken refuge in India till December 31 2014, will now find a way to free themselves from the pain of atrocities.
- 11 March 2024 3:24 PM GMT
Security beefed up in Delhi
Security has been beefed up with intense patrolling and flag march by paramilitary personnel in northeast Delhi, Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar and other sensitive areas across the national capital after rules for the implementation of CAA was notified on Monday, officials said.
Delhi Police’s cyber unit is also monitoring social media platforms to prevent provocative posts and rumours, they said.
Delhi witnessed communal riots in 2020 over the CAA and NRC (National Register of Citizens), in which 53 people died and over 500 people were injured in north-east Delhi.
The northeast district has identified 43 hot spots where intense foot patrolling is being conducted. These areas include Seelampur, Jaffrabad, Mustafabad, Bhajanpura, Khajoori Khas and Seemapuri, an official said.
“Safety of every single common man of Delhi's northeast district is our responsibility,” DCP northeast Joy Tirkey told PTI.
He said intensive patrolling and checking is being carried out by northeast district police personnel and paramilitary forces for the safety of citizens in sensitive areas. Everyone is requested to follow the safety instructions and not spread any rumours, the officer said.
“We have intensified night vigil along with paramilitary forces. No one will be allowed to breach the law-and-order situation. We took out flag marches for the safety of every single common man,” the DCP said.
He also said the social media accounts are also being monitored round the clock.
Another officer said the Delhi police has held at least 29 meetings with peace committee members so that people do not “fall for rumours”.
The officer said checking and patrolling will be increased in several parts of north east Delhi when the district gets more paramilitary personnel on Tuesday.
Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar, which were the epicentre of the anti-CAA and NRC protests, have also been witnessing heavy deployment of paramilitary personnel.
In southeast Delhi, paramilitary personnel carried out a flag march as local police conducted patrolling on bikes.
Sources said that the police had made security arrangements for the implementation of CAA at least two weeks ago.
- 11 March 2024 3:13 PM GMT
Politically motivated: Karnataka HM
The Centre notifying the rules for the CAA is “politically motivated”, keeping the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in mind, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has said.
He said this move shows the BJP’s lack of confidence about winning more seats in the polls and coming to power.
“Today CAA guidelines and norms have been gazetted and published. I feel that it is not proper to comment without seeing its complete details. We have seen in 2019 that it was opposed by many. Despite that if the Central government has come to this decision, it has to be examined and looked into,” Parameshwara said.
He said the central government led by BJP has made several decisions keeping the elections in mind, and everyone knows and understands that this move is “politically motivated”.
“Somewhere the BJP has a fear. Despite them claiming outside that they will win, it seems they have less confidence within about winning more seats and coming to power. So they are making such decisions,” he added.
