Assam: 70 organisations protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Agencies

November 16, 2018

Guwahati, Nov 16: As many as 70 organisations, led by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), hit the streets here on Friday to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, demanding that it should be scrapped.

KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi, while speaking to ANI, said that if the proposed bill is passed, then the Assamese people will become a minority in their own state.

"We are protesting against the bill. If this bill is passed, Assamese citizens will become a minority here. We are totally against the passing of the bill. We demand the government to scrap the bill, else we will take drastic steps," he said.

Underlining that the protest was being held to save democracy in the nation, Gogoi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of attempting to create a "Hindu nation" by trying to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

"In our constitution, it talks about secularism. However, the BJP and the RSS are trying to create a 'Hindu nation' by attempting to pass this bill. We have been protesting against its passage, but the government is not paying heeds. We will not approve such a bill, and we will continue to fight and emerge victorious in the end," added Gogoi.

Several anti-citizenship bill protests have been held in Assam in the past several months.

The bill was recently introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and entered India before December 31, 2014.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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