Assam CM to approach Juvenile Justice Court over Gogoi children’s nationality

Guwahati, Feb 9: Amid the escalating political confrontation between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi, Sarma on Monday claimed that Gogoi could face legal action for allegedly changing his children’s nationality before they attained adulthood.

The Chief Minister’s remarks followed Gogoi’s allegation that the government had made public details of his five- and nine-year-old children. Gogoi had warned that the issue could be taken up in Delhi under provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Speaking on the sidelines of an application form distribution programme in Dibrugarh, Sarma said he would approach the Juvenile Justice Court to seek clarity on whether parents have the legal right to change the religion or nationality of their minor children.

“I will file a case in the Juvenile Justice Court to examine how parents can change the religion or nationality of children who are not adults,” Sarma said, adding that such actions raised serious constitutional and legal questions.

Welcoming Gogoi’s indication of pursuing legal route, the Chief Minister said the issue would gain huge attention.

“If Gaurav Gogoi goes to the Juvenile Justice Court, I welcome it. The debate will become wider. There will be a clear decision on whether parents can convert a child’s religion from Hinduism to Christianity,” he said.

Sarma further asserted that Gogoi should have waited until his children turned 18, claiming that the Constitution does not grant parents the authority to alter the nationality or religion of minors.

“The real case will be against Gaurav Gogoi; that he has exploited his children,” Sarma alleged.

On the allegations concerning Gogoi’s alleged links with Pakistan, the Chief Minister maintained that all relevant documents had already been placed in the press conference.

“I have produced all the documents at yesterday’s press conference. Now the question is what evidence has he shown to counter the Pakistani link allegations,” Sarma said.

Earlier in the day, Gogoi dismissed the Chief Minister’s claims, stating that no concrete evidence had been presented against him despite the lengthy press briefing.

“I am actually happy that this ‘super flop cinema’ has been released,” Gogoi said, adding that the Congress had deliberately refrained from approaching the court earlier to avoid being accused of suppressing the report.

“We wanted the report to be made public, and in the process, the Chief Minister walked into our trap,” he claimed.