GUWAHATI, Dec 11 - Curfew has been imposed for an indefinite period in Guwahati from 6.15 pm today and two columns of Army has been deployed for flag march after fresh and volatile protests erupted across the State, including at the all-important GS Road in Guwahati which saw a �war zone� like atmosphere as the protesters virtually laid siege to the Janata Bhawan.
Meanwhile, the Army has been kept on standby in view of the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the State, including Bongaigaon and Dibrugarh, even as several additional companies of paramilitary forces have been requisitioned from outside the State, including Jammu and Kashmir.
This comes a day after the Northeast region witnessed complete shutdown in protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill even as the legislation is being taken up in Rajya Sabha for its passage.
After marching from multiple directions despite resistance shown by the security forces, students congregated near the State Secretariat voicing out their angst and burning tyres and effigies. Enraged by the government�s move, the protesters also took out torch rallies through various routes in the evening.
Further, in view of the escalating protests, business establishments and shops downed their shutters. Power connections were also snapped at various parts of Guwahati.
Earlier, the entire stretch of the GS Road today simmered with protests with thousands of students belonging to various educational institutes of Guwahati, who were subsequently joined by people from various localities of the city, took to the streets and assembled in front of the Janata Bhawan as part of their �Dispur Chalo� rally.
Like on Tuesday, members of the cultural fraternity too came down to the streets against the CAB.
In the city, commuters travelling through the GS Road and other connecting roads were caught completely off guard due to the protest, with even schoolchildren on their way back home facing a lot of hardship. Several adjacent arteries connecting the GS Road were also choked aggravating the ordeal of the commuters.
At a number of places, including the GS Road and the Paltan Bazar area, the protest turned violent with the agitators seen ransacking a number of shops.
Reacting to the situation at the GS Road, especially in ABC, Christianbasti, Ganeshguri and Dispur areas, security forces repeatedly blank-fired and used tear gas, lathis, rubber bullets and even water cannons on the protesters but failed to gain control over the agitating crowd till late in the evening. Clashes between the security forces and the protesters took ugly turn at several places leaving several injured which included security personnel, journalists and protesters.
Although there was no bandh call, agitating crowd reverberated the air with slogans of �Joi Aai Asom� besides shouting anti-CAB slogans. They also blocked the national highway at many places while the movement of trains at different routes was also suspended.
Sources also informed that the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal�s convoy too had to take an altogether different route after he landed in Guwahati from Tezpur.