Violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act remind us of 2001 Parliament attack:Dilip Ghosh

"Dec 13 reminds us of the black day of Parliament attack. The temple of our democracy was attacked on this day in 2001. Over the years we recovered from the blow. But, the violent protest across the state against the amended Citizenship Act passed in parliament has renewed the memories of 2001. These violent protests are a blow on the Constitution," Ghosh said.

Ghosh said laws on conferring citizenship to migrants had been amended from time to time. The new amendment has taken into consideration only Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan as these countries were once part of India and are currently Islamic states.

Amid fierce agitation in the North East, the protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act spread to West Bengal too on Friday with a section of people turning violent against it in different corners of the state and even set on fire a railway complex in Muslim-dominated Mushirdabad besides halting train services at various stations on Friday.  

The National Highway 34, one of the arterial roads that connect north and south Bengal, was blocked in Murshidabad.

Several other roads in the district were also blocked, police said.

In Howrah district, anti-CAB / NRC protesters blocked the national highway near Salap in Domjur. Prtesters burnt tyres.

Police and RAF have been deployed in the area.

Protesters also burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
   
Vehement protests continued in Murshidabad district.

On Saturday morning protesters vandalized the Nimtita station under Suti Police Station.

Violent protesters also set ablaze several buses in Murshidabad district and on Kona Expressway in Howrah.

Ticket counter at Uluberia station was set on fire.

Many trains at Howrah and Kharagpur have been detained while several long-distance trains from Howrah cancelled.

On Friday Murshidabad’s Beldanga witnessed mob violence with angry protesters vandalizing the Beldanga rail station, police station and even attacked ambulances. Even cops were injured.

Railway equipment were set on fire at Beldanga station in Murshidabad.

Protesters blocked a road in Hasnabad in Basirhat sub-division under North 24 Pargana district. Minority organizations burnt the effigy of the Union Home Minister.

Train services were disrupted on the Sealdah- Hasnabad route under Eastern Railway for some time.

Train services carrying commuters on Howrah and Sealdah sections were today partially affected when the anti-CAB protesters blocked track at different railway stations across West Bengal.

Preliminary reports pouring into the capital said the train services between Sealdah-Hasnabad section of Eastern Railway were affected today after the protesters squatted on the tracks at different areas forcing the ER authorities to deploy RPF and GRP to clear the track.