Shillong, Guwahati, December 11

The Army was on Wednesday called out in Tripura and Guwahati in Assam, the epicentre of anti-CAB protests, as several parts of the region plunged into chaos. An Army spokesperson said a column each had been deployed in Kanchanpur and Manu in Tripura while another had been asked to be prepared for any eventuality in Bongaigaon and Dibrugarh in Assam.

Curfew was imposed in Assam’s Guwahati for an indefinite period amid violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Imposed at 6.15 pm, it was extended for an indefinite period. Tens of thousands of protesters against CAB descended on the streets of Assam, clashing with the police and plunging the state into chaos of a magnitude unseen since the violent six-year movement by students that ended with the signing of the Assam accord.

Though no party or student body had appealed for a shutdown, protesters, mostly students, fought pitched battles with security personnel, including in front of the secretariat, the seat of the BJP government. The police fired tear gas shells and baton-charged the protesters, who fought back.

Annual India-Japan summit may be hit

New Delhi: Uncertainty surrounds the annual India-Japan summit in Guwahati later this week. Sources said there was no change of venue as of now. Assam Deputy CM presented the ground situation to External Affairs Minister as protesters burnt down the ramp built for welcoming Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and PM Modi. TNS