AS-BILL-LD FAST

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti

(KMSS) Adviser Akhil Gogoi Friday announced that he will hold

a 24-hour hunger strike on the coming Magh Bihu festival, of

which community feast is an integral part, to protest against

the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

"I will not celebrate Magh Bihu this time and will not

eat anything on 'Uruka'. I will observe a 24-hour hunger

strike with other representatives of 70 organisations from

afternoon of January 14 to protest against the Bill," he told

a press conference.

On 'Uruka' night, the first day of the three-day Magh

Bihu, people enjoy community feast with new harvest and it is

one of the main attractions of the festival. Magh Bihu is one

of the three Bihu festivals of the state.

The KMSS is one the major organisations that was

holding protests across Assam against the controversial bill

and sedition charges were slapped on Gogoi, and two others, on

Thursday for their remarks against the Citizenship Amendment

Bill. The Gauhati High Court granted interim bail to him

earlier in the day.

"We welcome the high court decision. It democratically

and rightly stopped the communal fascist agenda of the BJP-led

government. Their tactics to suppress our voices will never

succeed," Gogoi, also a prominent RTI activist, said.

The KMSS chief said till the controversial Bill is

scrapped, protest will continue as BJP has plans to pass it in

Rajya Sabha during the Budget session scheduled to commence on

January 31.

"The danger of the Bill getting passed is not over

yet. We cannot relax. So we will continue our agitation till

January 31, when the Parliament will meet again for the Budget

Session," Gogoi said.

The Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks

to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslims who fled religious

persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and

entered India before December 31, 2014.

"We have also appealed to people, especially in

villages, not to entertain any BJP or RSS leader. People

should completely boycott their functions and protest in front

of them if they come," he said.

The KMSS chief also appealed to all groups and people

across the state to unite and go for a joint movement against

the Bill.