Effigies of PM, CM, and Amit Shah Burnt as Anger Boils Over CAA Deadline

New protests broke out all over Assam on Saturday following the extension of the deadline for awarding Indian citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) until December 31, 2024, by the Union government.

The decision came in the form of the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, which immediately provoked statewide anger with several organisations taking to the streets in revolt.

In Bokakhat, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS) organized a protest together, setting ablaze effigies of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the town center. SMSS state president Pintu Gogoi announced that Assam's people would never accept what he called "a law bent on imposing demographic changes upon the state." He threatened that Assam was ready to hit the roads again if the Centre persisted with the controversial bill.

In a direct attack on the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), another leader, Pranab Doley, claimed that Atul Bora, the party's president and cabinet minister, had betrayed the regional cause by siding with the BJP. "Atul Bora no longer has the blood of regionalism. Today, he has Gujarat's blood infused by the Prime Minister. He has no right to speak about saving Assamese identity while quietly approving CAA," Doley stated in a passionate speech.

The upsurge of anger was not contained in Bokakhat alone.

In Tinsukia, Asomiya Yuva Manch took to the streets with protests, where protesters attempted to burn the effigy of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Police stepped in and there was a scuffle, followed by a mad chase between security personnel and protesters.

In Majuli, Raijor Dal activists and the district unit of SMSS burnt effigies of the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Chief Minister at Garamur. They blamed the government for betraying Assam's indigenous people and promised to step up their agitation.

Nagaon too saw angry scenes as the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) staged a demonstration, torching both the effigy of Amit Shah and copies of the official order that extended the CAA deadline. Protesters warned that Assam would never bow to New Delhi’s “anti-Assamese agenda.”

In Sivasagar, the AJP organized a ruckus protest at Station Chariali. Activists torched the copies of the notifications while raising slogans such as "BJP Go Back" and "Down with the Central Government."

There, leaders vowed to fight the ongoing extension of the citizenship deadline at all costs, calling it a "deliberate attempt to cheat Assam."

A painful reminder of the widespread indignation that had previously engulfed Assam when the CAA was first implemented in 2019 was also brought about by the protests on Saturday.

Local parties and student organisations throughout the state claim that the Act breaches the Assam Accord's commitments and undermines Assam's identity, despite the BJP government's continued support for the law.

Also Read: Immigration Order 2025 Will Brand Bengalis as Outsiders in Assam: Gaurav Gogoi