Close to Onelakh people hit the streets across the northeastern state of Assam at the callof AASU, Congress and several other groups to peacefully protest thecontentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
The anti-CAAprotest was the largest Assam has witnessed.
The largestgathering was in Dibrugarh, hometown of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Manypeople assembled at Chowkidinghee playground at a programme by All?Assam?Students'Union (AASU), which is spearheading the protests.
According tonews agency PTI, Dibrugarh observed a total and spontaneous bandh to expresssolidarity and shops, banks and business establishments remained closed.
Notededucationist and Sahitya Akademi awardee Nagen Saikia, who participated in theagitation, said "The MPs and MLAs should clear their stand whether theyare representing?Assam?or Delhi."
AASU GeneralSecretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi demanded immediate withdrawal of the Act and warnedthe government not to suppress peoples' movement.
"Wealso demand immediate release of KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi. The way he wasarrested is totally condemnable," he added.
On December12, Akhil Gogoi, an RTI activist and peasant leader, was arrested in Jorhatdistrict as a preventive measure amid violent protests against the CAA acrossthe state. He was taken into custody to avoid any "untowardincident".
Anotherlarge rally was organised by AASU in Tezpur in which the gathering vowed tocontinue the agitation till the Act is repealed.
"We donot understand their (BJP government at the Centre) peculiar formula. One handthey say safeguarding language, culture, identity and land of Assamese people,on the other hand they want to bring illegal Bangladeshis through theCAA," AASU chief adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya said at the rally.
Popularsinger Zubeen Garg said as all political parties in?Assam?havebetrayed the state so people should think about "alternate ways to grabthe power" in future.
In Golaghat,another huge gathering was reported.
Thousands ofpeople took part in Congress’ 800-kilometre 'padyatra' from Sadiya to Dhubri onSunday. The march has reached Naharkatiya.
Peacefulprotest continued across all the districts in Brahmaputra valley.
After theRajya Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on December 11,?Assam eruptedin uncontrolled protests in which agitators engaged in pitched battle in almostevery major city or town.
These wereone of the worst violent protests by the public in its history since December9.
Five personshad lost their lives during the protest, including four in firing by securityforces.