All shops remained closed in Guwahati on December 11th, 2019 as protests erupted in the city against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Fancy Bazar is the main commercial hub of Guwahati. Panic and fear gripped the trader as agitators took out rallies opposing the Bill. The shopkeepers pulled down the shutters of their shops and rushed to the safety of their homes.

The Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to the people belonging to the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis who have become the victims of religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and entered India on or before December 31st, 2014.

The agitators said that the Bill nullify spirit of Article 14 of the Constitution of India and the Assam Accord which has fixed March 24th, 1971 as the cut-off to identify illegal foreigners. 

Photo: Time8