As the All Assam Student's Union (AASU) ramped up their protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state, police on Friday resorted to lathi-charge on protesters who took out a torch rally in Tezpur.
AASU condemned the police action and announced for a 12-hour shutdown in Sonitpur on Saturday.
Sources say police mercilessly beat the protesters resulting in several AASU activists getting injured including General Secretary of AASU (Sonitpur district) Manoj Das and nationalist leader Prashanta Das. Some of them, who were critically injured in the lathi-charge, were admitted to Tezpur Civil Hospital.
Notably, just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Assam, AASU had launched its 3-day anti-CAA protests in several parts of the state.
In Guwahati, a massive torch rally taken out by AASU from their headquarters in Guwahati was blocked by the police midway and barricaded them.
AASU Chief Advisor Sammujjal Bhattacharya, who was leading the protest, said that the BJP-led Assam government is blocking a "democratic and peaceful torch rally."
"Sonowal being a product of AASU and blocking the rally is shameful," he added.
Meanwhile, PM Modi is slated to address a public gathering in Sivasagar on Saturday. AASU said they will be wearing black badges to register their protest against CAA in his presence.
