Internet suspended, SMS blocked in Tripura following agitation against CAB

Normalcy came to a halt in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Schools, colleges, banks, and markets were closed, and private vehicles stayed off roads

New Delhi: The protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill intensified in various States of North East India with several cases of stone-pelting, arson, and protest coming from Assam, Tripura, and Manipur on Tuesday.

Tripura administration shut down internet and SMS services for 48 hours on Tuesday amid agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Bill in several parts of North-East India. The CAB was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday despite widespread opposition and is to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

“It has been marked that SMS, WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are being more used for transmission of forgery images and videos as well as text messages which have potential to incite violence in the state,” quotes the order from Tripura’s home department.

According to the current reports the North East Students’ Organisation, observed an attack in the region and protest against the CAB. The bang was participated by several political parties and organizations such as the Congress, the All India United Democratic Front, the All Assam Students Union, the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union, Khasi Students Union, and the Naga Students Federation.

The security was stepped up in the state Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura on Tuesday. People came out in huge numbers in Agartala in Tripura, and Dibrugarh and Jorabat in Assam to protest.

Normalcy came to a halt in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Schools, colleges, banks, and markets were closed, and private vehicles stayed off roads. Many employees did not go to government offices. Itanagar Capital Superintendent of Police Tumme Amo said the strike was mostly peaceful but there were random incidents of stone-pelting.

In Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley, normalcy was disrupted but in the Barak Valley, which is mostly dominated by Bengalis, was not impacted much, according to sources. Protestors burnt tires, pelted stones and blocked highways in some parts of the Assam. Incidents of tire burning and vandalization of vehicles were reported in Shillong, East Khasi Hills district, the Deputy Commissioner MW Nongbri said.

Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University in Assam have announced to postponed all examinations. Train services were stopped in the state as many protestors squatted on railway lines. Private vehicles also stayed off roads. Three Central Industrial Security Force personnel were reportedly injured in Dibrugarh following clashes with protestors.

In Manughat in Tripura’s Dhalai district, some protestors set a market on fire. No injuries were reported. An officer said, “Security forces were deployed in the market but the incident has created fear-mongering among the non-tribals, who owned most of the shops,”.

The attack also threw daily life out of gear in West Tripura and Khowai districts, forcing train services and vehicular movement to come to a halt. Some agitators were also detained in Agartala.