Assamese Community Members in Maharashtra Protest Against Citizenship Act

Pune: The Assamese community members staged a protest here in Maharashtra on Wednesday against the amended Citizenship Act, claiming that it endangered the culture of Assam.

The new legislation will lead to "erosion of ethnic, cultural and linguistic identity" of the Assamese people, the protesters said.

Around 200 members of the community, mostly students and working professionals, held a peaceful protest outside the Sambhaji Garden on JM Road here.

"This Act directly endangers the culture of Assam as the inclusion of immigrants, irrespective of their religion, under the CAA will lead to erosion of ethnic, cultural and linguistic identity of the indigenous Assamese people," one of the protesters said.

Protests have broken out in various parts of the country, including Delhi and north-eastern states, against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which provides to grant citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asserted there was no question of going back on the implementation of the amended Citizenship Act and accused the opposition of engaging in a "false" campaign over the legislation.

Several opposition leaders have approached President Ram Nath Kovind, urging him to repeal the citizenship amendment law and form a commission to probe violent protests in several parts of the country and the subsequent police action.