(FE)
Several students’ organisations have called for a bandh in the Northeast to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The 11-hour bandh began at 5 AM. The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), backed by various other bodies and regional political parties, said they will observe the shutdown till 4 PM. The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday and cleared by the House a little past midnight. News agency reported that shops are closed in Guwahati and public transport services have come to a halt. Meanwhile, in view of the bandh call, the administration has beefed up security in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. Nagaland has been exempted from the purview of the bandh in view of the ongoing Hornbill Festival there. Also, the All Moran Students’ Union (AMSU) is observing 48-hour bandh in Assam. The shutdown began on Monday. The bandh on Monday affected normal life in several districts.
