In a big move, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma issued new directives for the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Significantly, cases against Hindu Bengalis under the Foreigners Tribunal were also dropped as most do not want apply under the new law as they said they are already citizens having entered before 1971.
At a press conference, Sarma said a majority of Hindu Bengalis are unwilling to apply under the new citizenship law and would like to prove their status in a court of law. According to an order issued by the home department, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists from Afghanistan, Pakistan or Bangladesh, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, are eligible to apply for citizenship. Hence, the border police may not forward their cases to the foreigners tribunal.
Their citizenship will be decided by the central government on the basis of facts and circumstances, while a separate register will be maintained for these cases, the order stated. It also said this treatment, however, will not be given to those who entered India from these countries after December 31, 2014, irrespective of faith.
Sarma said: “Only two people have applied so far. Anybody (according to CAA) who has come to India before 2015, they have the first right to apply for citizenship. If they don’t apply we will lodge a case for them. So this is a statuary instruction. We will deport those who have come after 2015. Only two persons have applied so far who came before 2015. Out of five applications, three were not present in the hearing and only two have applied for CAA.”
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