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Citizenship Amendment Bill, with one student body threatening to take steps like self immolation if the Bill is not withdrawn.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to boycott classes indefinitely and said extreme steps like self immolation will be carried out if the Bill is not withdrawn.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.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)