Tinsukia: Protests against the amended Citizenship Act continue to be held in upper Assam as over 10,000 people took to the streets in Tinsukia on Monday.

Locals raised slogans against the Act and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Centre and in the state. Tinsukia town is shut once again after opening for a few hours on Sunday. Also, curfew will be re-imposed in Tinsukia district from 4 pm to 5 am.

On Sunday night, around 15 shops were torched at Hijuguri gate no. 1, barely 100 metre away from New Tinsukia railway station, along national highway 37.

Talking to EastMojo, Bikash Debnath, one of the shopkeepers who's vegetable shop has been gutted, said, "I received a call at around 11.30 pm from a nearby person who informed me that my shop burning in flames. I rushed to see fire brigade dousing the fire."

"Around 15 shops - vegetable, meat, dry fish shops - has been reduced to ashes," Debnath said, questioning that what their fault that they are being targeted. "My grandfather and father had been running this shop since over 30 years."

Speaking with EastMojo, Tinsukia deputy commissioner Bhaskar Pegu denied linking the incident with the ongoing protests. He said, "It seems to be the handiwork of miscreants. This incident has no connection with CAA protests."

"The situation is returning to normal in most places in the district. We shall deploy additional forces," Pegu added.