Anti-CAB Bill protest reaches Delhi, many arrested
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 30 2019: A number of students and women activists have been arrested as AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK and AIMS staged a protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi against CAB 2016 in association with Delhi based student organisations - MSAD, DAMMS, UNIKAS and NEFIS at around 11 am today.

Many speakers who addressed the protest demonstration while condemning the way CAB 2016 was passed in the Lok Sabha, categorically stated that the Bill must not be passed in the Rajya Sabha under any circumstances.

Pointing out that the Bill will bring about disastrous impacts throughout the North East region, they underscored the need for all the people to join hands and launch mass civil movement against the Bill.

Saying that the Bill is opposed vehemently by a large section of people, they exuded confidence that the Supreme Court would scrap it.

Apart from shouting slogans like "BJP Government, down, down", "Central Govt down, down" and the protesters set ablaze effigies of BJP leaders.

It was at this moment that Delhi Police swooped in and took a number of protesters into custody.

Meanwhile, AMSU, DESAM, MSF, KSA, SUK and AIMS said that many protesters sustained injuries in police action while 67 others including women and many key leaders of student organizations from the State who took part in the protest demonstration have been arrested by Delhi Police.

While demanding unconditional release of the arrested protesters at the earliest, the student bodies have warned that the State Government and the Central Government should be held accountable if anything untoward happens to the arrested protesters.

While speaking on behalf of the six student organizations in a press meet held this evening at AMSU headquarters located at DM College campus, DESAM secretary general Shital Oinam conveyed that Delhi Police brutally assaulted the protesters who took part in today's protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar.

Stating that 67 protesters including female students and womenfolk have been arrested by Delhi Police, he strongly condemned the brutal police assault on the protesters as well as the arrest of women protesters by male police personnel.

Asserting that the protest was carried out in a very democratic manner, Shital decried that the act of Delhi police has shown racial discrimination of the people of North East States by the mainland Indians besides proving that they (Delhi Police) are an uncivilized and undisciplined lot.

Asserting that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 must not be passed in the Budget Session of Rajya Sabha which begins on January 31, the secretary general informed that intense forms of agitation will be carried out until their demand for withdrawal of the Bill is fulfilled.

Notably around 200 people, comprising volunteers of AMSU, DESAM, MSF, KSA, SUK and AIMS and womenfolk left Imphal a few days back to hold today's protest which was organized to demonstrate that the people of the State and North East people oppose Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 .

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