Assam Government Trying To Implement Citizenship Act In Roundabout Way: Congress Leader

Guwahati:

Chief of the Opposition in Assam Meeting and Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia has alleged that the BJP authorities within the state is attempting to get the Citizenship Modification Act (CAA) applied in a “roundabout” manner.

Mr Saikia has cited a March 19 authorities letter that directed Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, Foreigners Registration Officers and so on to disseminate data relating to grant of citizenship to migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who maintain Lengthy Time period Visas. The letter was issued days earlier than the Meeting polls after which BJP returned to energy.

Sharing a duplicate of this letter with the media, Mr Saikia has demanded that the long-pending claims and objections means of the Nationwide Register of Residents be accomplished urgently by Foreigners’ Tribunals, as per guidelines.

Mr Saikia demanded that since solely the names of real residents of the pre-1971 interval can be left after a good claims and objections course of, the federal government ought to difficulty Nationwide Identification Playing cards to those residents in accordance with provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

He talked about that any foreigner can apply for Indian citizenship beneath Sections 5 & 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and there’s no have to invoke the CAA.

He stated that since CAA was launched to grant citizenship to migrants from these three international locations, there’s motive to suspect that the state authorities’s directive is nothing however a ploy to implement the laws within the state in a roundabout manner.

Mr Saikia stated the results of the lately held Meeting elections can’t be interpreted as an endorsement of CAA as a result of the BJP secured solely 33.21 per cent of vote share.

He demanded that if a bit of international migrants are to be granted citizenship on the idea of Lengthy Time period Visas, then the Interior Line Allow system needs to be launched in Assam as per provisions of Bengal Jap Frontier Regulation, 1873, to safeguard rights of the indigenous individuals.

Assam had seen widespread protests towards the CAA. However whereas protesters in different components of the nation alleged that the Act is discriminatory on spiritual grounds, these in Assam had been opposing the laws for a distinct motive.

The Assam protesters wished that the deadline for citizenship be fastened at 1971 as per the settlement within the 1986 Assam Accord. The CAA gives citizenship to persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who arrived in India earlier than the tip of December 2014. The Assamese individuals opposed the laws, arguing that it could profit unlawful migrants from Bangladesh who’ve settled within the state.