The Indian Super League (ISL) match between NorthEast United FC and Chennaiyin FC in Guwahati scheduled for Thursday has been postponed indefinitely after the host city was placed under a curfew following protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
The game was slated to be played at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium there. "Due to the ongoing unrest in Guwahati, match 37 between NorthEast United FC and Chennaiyin FC has been postponed until further notice," the ISL said in a statement. "The league has been in consultation with the concerned authorities over the past 48 hours to determine the best course of action. The safety of fans, players and league staff is of paramount importance, which has led to this decision," it added. "Further information regarding the match will be conveyed in due course."
The two teams did not train on Wednesday and the pre-match media interactions were also called off.
Guwahati, the epicentre of anti-CAB protests, was placed under indefinite curfew on Wednesday night while the Army has been called in at four places. Assam Rifles personnel were deployed in Tripura on Wednesday after the two north-eastern states, after protests over the hugely emotive Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB, which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
A team official of NorthEast United FC said the side is currently stuck in a hotel in Guwahati. "We can't get out of the hotel at this moment. Situation is not good here at all," the official said on conditions of anonymity.