Anti-CAB Protests: Curfew In Parts Of Shillong & Meghalaya, Mobile Internet Shut

Amid growing unrest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the North-East, indefinite curfew has been imposed in parts of Shillong and Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills from 10 pm on Thursday and mobile internet services have been suspended for 48 hours from 5 pm on Thursday in light of the deteriorating situation. Earlier on Thursday, curfew was imposed in Guwahati and Dibrugarh. 

#CitizenshipAmendmentBill: 3 persons were reported dead and several injured during police firing in #Assam as thousands took to the streets defying curfew. All flights and trains cancelled for the day. Internet and SMS services also blocked for 48 hours. pic.twitter.com/m5igWxNyxh

— GoNewsIndia (@GoNews_India) December 13, 2019

Meanwhile, the ban on mobile internet services in 10 districts of Assam has been extended for 48 hours more.

On Thursday, 3 persons were reported dead and several injured during police firing in Assam as thousands took to the streets defying curfew. 

Northeast Frontier has suspended all passenger trains towards Assam & Tripura while air services have been suspended till 13th December.

Multiple airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara on Thursday have canceled all flights to Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Jorhat till 13th December in light of deteriorating conditions in the North-East states.

Due to prevailing situation in Assam, flights to/from Dibrugarh are cancelled for today (12th Dec, 2019). Please visit Plan B https://t.co/DSSJqiVQRK to choose an alternate flight or get a refund. For assistance, contact us on Twitter/Facebook. https://t.co/ATa9FupUaB

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 12, 2019

#TravelUpdate Due to the ongoing unrest in Assam, we are waiving rescheduling/cancellation fee to the customers travelling to and from Guwahati and Dibrugarh till Dec 13, 2019. Fare difference if any, will be applicable. Thank you.

— Vistara (@airvistara) December 11, 2019

#TravelUpdate Due to ongoing unrest in Assam, SpiceJet is offering full refund and waiver of cancellation/change fee (Fare Difference applicable) for all flights to/from Guwahati and Dibrugarh for travel till December 13th, 2019. 1/2

— SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) December 11, 2019

North East Frontier Railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda said that in view of the security situation in the North-East states, all 21 trains to Assam and Tripura have been canceled, adding that many passengers are stranded in Kamakhya and Guwahati.

The move comes after the protesters set fire to Chhabua railway station in Dibrugarh, the hometown of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and torched the Panitola railway station in Tinsukia district. Railway Police Force Director General Arun Kumar has said that 12 companies of Railway Protection Special Force have been deployed in the entire area to control the situation.

The army said two columns have been deployed in several parts of Tripura, while a third column is kept on standby in Assam. In addition, 5000 additional paramilitary personnel have been airlifted to the North-East.

Meanwhile, the matter of passing the disputed Citizenship Amendment Bill from both Houses of Parliament has reached the Supreme Court.

Four MPs — PK Kunhalikutty, K Navas Kani, ET Mohammed Basheer and Abdul Wahab — of the Indian Union of Muslim League on Thursday moved the Supreme Court, saying in their petition that the Treaty of India does not allow classification on the basis of religion and the Bill is a clear violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. 

The petition said that this bill directly hurt the basic principles of Secularism enshrined in the Constitution.

Speaking to the media, after filing the writ petition in the SC, IUML MP Bashir said that this is a strong case, which will be headed by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal. Muslim League MPs have declared the passage of this Bill by the Parliament a 'black day' for India.

Indian Union Muslim League (#IUML) files a writ petition against the #CitizenshipAmendmentBill 2019 and pleaded the SC to declare the bill as illegal and void pic.twitter.com/337NH0YX7G

— GoNewsIndia (@GoNews_India) December 12, 2019

Following an impassioned day-long debate, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was cleared by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday with 125 members voting in favour and 105 against the Bill. The Bill grants citizenship to non-Muslim minority communities from three neighbouring Islamic countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan — before 2015.

While Prime Minister Modi described it as a “landmark day for India”, Congress President Sonia Gandhi called it a “dark day” in the constitutional history of India.

A landmark day for India and our nation’s ethos of compassion and brotherhood!

Glad that the #CAB2019 has been passed in the #RajyaSabha. Gratitude to all the MPs who voted in favour of the Bill.

This Bill will alleviate the suffering of many who faced persecution for years.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2019

Congress, which heavily opposed the bill, is now preparing to take the Bill to court.

Statement by Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi on the unconstitutional Citizenship Amendment Bill. #CABseBharatBachao pic.twitter.com/RS4OxrYsgg

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 11, 2019