Protests erupt in Assam over new immigration order
Assam is seeing a wave of protests after the government's new Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order let non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, stay without visa and passport requirements.
Many locals are upset because this order goes past the Citizenship (Amendment) Act's 2014 deadline and breaks the Assam Accord's March 24, 1971 cut-off—raising worries about more foreigners settling in Assam.
Political reactions to the protests
The All Assam Students's Union (AASU) is leading the charge with hunger strikes and peaceful protests, saying Assam simply can't handle more outsiders.
AASU President Utpal Sarma has voiced these concerns directly to the BJP government.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Ripun Bora criticized Home Minister Amit Shah's anti-infiltrator comments, but Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma noted that only 12 CAA-related citizenship applications have come in so far.
Still, tensions remain high as elections approach.