Latest news with #AllAssamMinorityStudents'Union
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Exploring old law allowing ‘push back': Sarma
The Assam government is looking into the details of 'an old law' that will allow it to 'push back' infiltrators without having to mandatorily approach foreigners tribunals, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Nalbari, Sarma said that a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, while hearing a case on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, had said that there is no legal requirement for the Assam government to always approach the judiciary in order to identify foreigners. 'There exists an immigrants expel order, which is an old law. The Supreme Court has said that this law is in force and a deputy commissioner can give permission for immediate pushback under it,' he maintained. 'For whatever reason, our lawyers had not informed us and we too didn't know about it. The entire matter has come to light in the last few days. We will now discuss it further,' he added. The chief minister said pushing back illegal migrants will continue, adding that the process of identifying foreigners, which had been paused due to NRC-related matters, will now be accelerated. 'And when the identification of a foreigner happens, there will be no need to send the case to any tribunal. We will directly push them back. We have been preparing for it,' he added. Sarma said the process of pushback will continue, though no person with a case pending before the court will be sent back. His comments came even as the state witnessed protests over 'harassment' of minorities in the name of detecting illegal immigrants. Members and supporters of the All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU) wore black badges and displayed placards against the purported recent pushback of Bangladeshis in the state. They carried out the protest in different parts, including Chirang and Jogighopa, after Eid namaz.
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Aamsu protests on Eid against ‘persecution of Indian citizens'
1 2 Silchar: Protesting against the 'systematic harassment' of indigenous citizens, who have been 'wrongly branded as illegal immigrants', members of All Assam Minority Students' Union (Aamsu) on Saturday took out silent protest marches at multiple Eidgahs across Assam's Barak Valley. Donning black badges and carrying placards on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the protesters were part of a larger statewide campaign led by Aamsu president Rezaul Karim Sarkar, opposing the alleged misuse of anti-infiltration policies. Before offering their prayers, Aamsu members silently marched inside their respective Eidgah premises, refraining from any sloganeering. "This is a protest against injustice, not against any community or religion," said Sribhumi district Aaamsu general secretary Afzal Hussain Tapadar. "We oppose infiltration from Bangladesh," Tapadar said, before adding, "but branding genuine Indian citizens as foreigners, without a due process, is unacceptable. The state govt must immediately stop this persecution." He further said Indian citizens, who had been wrongly deported to Bangladesh, should be identified and brought back, before being rehabilitated. "Those arrested or pushed back across the border, without any legal proceedings, are not criminals. They are citizens of this country and must be treated with dignity," Tapadar said.
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Himanta says drive to identify foreigners to be 'accelerated'; AAMSU protests 'harassment'
Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that the process of identifying illegal foreigners, which was "paused" due to NRC-related matters, will be accelerated, even as protests were witnessed in different parts of the state during Eid prayers on Saturday over "pushback" and "harassment" of minorities in the name of detecting illegal immigrants. Sarma maintained that the state government was looking into the details of an old law, which allows it to "push back" the declared infiltrators without having to mandatorily approach the judiciary. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Nalbari, Sarma said that a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, while hearing a case on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, had said that there is no legal requirement for the Assam government to always approach the judiciary in order to identify foreigners. "There exists an immigrants expel order, which is an old law. The Supreme Court has said that this law is in force and a deputy commissioner can give permission for immediate pushback under it," he maintained. "For whatever reason, our lawyers had not informed us and we too didn't know about it. The entire matter has come to light in the last few days. We will now discuss it further," he added. The chief minister said pushing back illegal migrants will continue, adding that the process of identifying foreigners, which had been paused due to NRC-related matters, will now be accelerated. "And when the identification of a foreigner happens, there will be no need to send the case to any tribunal. We will directly push them back. We have been preparing for it," he added. Sarma said the process of pushback will continue, though no person with a case pending before the court will be sent back. Meanwhile, members and supporters of the All Assam Minority Students' Union wore black badges and displayed placards against the purported recent pushback of Bangladeshis in the state. They carried out the protest in different parts, including Chirang and Jogighopa, after Eid namaz. AAMSU president Rejaul Karim Sarkar maintained that more intensified protests will be carried out if the government does not stop "harassment" of genuine citizens. "We have seen cases where the entire family is Indian but one member is taken away as an illegal foreigner. Such acts are against humanity. The government should stop harassment of genuine citizens, else we will carry out more agitations in a democratic manner," he said.
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Scores picked up across Assam, police call it document verification drive
Police picked up scores of people across Assam over the weekend, with officials saying it was being done 'to verify their documentation'. At least 50 people were picked up over Saturday and Sunday from locations in districts such as Guwahati, Golaghat, Dhubri, Barpeta and Cachar. Neither the police nor the state government have issued any official information on the nature of the drive. A senior police officer said the drive was meant for 'verification'. With a large number of those picked up being Bengali-origin Muslims, the drive has spread panic among many in the community. The action comes close on the heels of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs setting a 30-day deadline earlier this month for states and Union Territories to verify the credentials of persons suspected to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar who claim to be Indian citizens. The Indian Express had reported that if their documents are not verified, the ministry has ordered that they be deported after 30 days. The All Assam Minority Students' Union has reacted sharply to the drive, calling it harassment. 'In Assam, we have due process to identify foreigners. There is the border police, the foreigners' tribunals (FTs), and people can appeal against FT decisions in the High Court and Supreme Court. But this is an attempt to create an atmosphere of terror. If they are indeed Bangladeshis, make an agreement with Bangladesh and deport them. (Don't do it) this way,' said AAMSU president Rejaul Karim Sarkar.
