AS-BILL-STUDENTS

Students of the Gauhati

University and several colleges Thursday joined other higher

educational institutes across Assam to protest the

controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill, with one student

body threatening to take steps like self immolation if the

Bill is not withdrawn.

Students of Cotton and Dibrugarh Universities and over

15 colleges decided on Wednesday to boycott their classes

indefinitely to protest against the passage of the citizenship

bill in the Lok Sabha.

Police detained hundreds of students of various

colleges and universities who gathered at Dighalipukhuri area

here to demonstrate.

Several students' unions held a joint press conference

at the Cotton University, where the leaders vowed to take the

struggle to schools and colleges in interior Assam.

A 12-hour strike was observed at Gauhati University by

the students, teachers and employees.

Burning effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, students at Hawraghat

College decided to boycott classes indefinitely and said

extreme steps like self immolation will be carried out if

the Bill is not withdrawn.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which was passed by

Lok Sabha Tuesday seeks to grant Indian citizenship to

non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Students' unions at Rangia College, Chandranath

Science College, Sarupathar College, Pub Majuli College and

others joined the protests and boycotted their classes.

The Dibrugarh University Post Graduate Students' Union

has imposed a ban on entry of any representative of member of

the ruling BJP into the campus.

Students' bodies at Tezpur University, Jorhat Medical

College, Pub Guwahati College, JB College, DCB College and

others held protests in their campuses, although no class

boycott decision has been taken.

Students unions at Pub Kamrup College, Margherita

College, Dibru College, Lahowal College, Tengakhat College,

Gorgaon College, CKB College, Jorhat College, Dhakuakhana

College, Chabua College, Madhabdeb College, Bokakhat College,

Moran College, Tinsukia College and MNC College announced

boycotting their classes.