[Watch] Assam: Mother Forced To Remove Black Jacket From Crying Child To Attend CM's Function

Amidst protests against the Citizenship Bill, a video of a mother removing the black jacket of her three-year-old daughter has caught fire on social media. The video showed the woman removing the jacket on the instructions of security personnel before entering Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s function in Biswanath district.

“My three-year-old child was wearing a black coloured jacket. The security personnel didn’t allow him to enter the meeting venue in it. The security personnel asked me to remove the black jacket,” the mother of the child is heard saying in the video to journalists, according to NDTV.

According to Times Now, the security personnel were specifically asked not to allow any black items during the function, because of the rapid protests that have been going on in the state against the Citizenship Bill.

While talking to The Daily Review, locals said, “There is a phobia among the police personnel against the colour black. They even forced a child to remove his black jacket exposing him to cold fearing the black garment may be a sign of protest.”

As reported by NDTV, an Assam Police Constable had told PTI, “We have been asked to check if anyone carries any black clothes. They are not allowed to carry any black items inside the ground.”

The Citizenship(Amendment) Bill

On January 8th, the Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship (amendment) bill which makes non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who had migrated to India till December 2014 due to ‘religious persecution,’ eligible for Indian citizenship. Fearing that this would increase migration from the neighbouring countries, there have been wide protests all over the state.

The bill not only angered the public but also violates the Assam Accord. While speaking to the Deccan Herald, Talukdar, a resident of Bhabanipur town in western Assam said, “The bill has added salt to our old wounds.”

Even since then, the political parties too have been showing their resistance in their own way. On 29th January, ten regional parties from the Northeast along with BJP allies, have come together against BJP to protest against the Citizenship Bill. While speaking to the Times of India, Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma said, “Most political parties in the region were protesting against the bill in their own states and so we decided to come together and discuss measures to protect our people and region.”

Also Read: IAS Officers Barred From Attending Republic Day Parade In Mizoram Over Citizenship Bill Protests Write To Centre