Two got killed in north-east firing as citizens protests against citizenship law

At least two people were killed on Thursday as violence spread to more regions within India’s north-eastern states against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

With police and paramilitary reinforcements are struggling to control massive crowds of protesters who go against curfews in some areas.

The subsequent lockdown, was Assam where military reinforcements have been sent and a near-total ban on internet services was made in some regions on Thursday.

CAB, cleared by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, floors the way for immigrants of faiths others than Islam from three neighbouring countries to gain Indian citizenship.

The move has reopened ethnic fault lines in regions such as Assam, which have a history of anti-immigration movements, especially against people from Bangladesh.

Ramen Talukdar, superintendent of Gauhati Medical College Hospital, said two people died from gunshot wounds and 11 others were injured, also with bullet wounds, said sources.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal have betrayed the people of Assam by ensuring passage of the Bill,” AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya told a gathering in Guwahati.

CM Sonowal, too, appealed to protesters to not creat violence and invited all groups to sit down for talks to address their concerns. The state government removed Guwahati police commissioner Deepak Kumar, replacing him with Munna Prasad Gupta. The additional director general of police (law and order) was also replaced.