Himanta denies special order to drop non-Muslim foreigners’ cases from tribunals

Guwahati, Aug 8: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday dismissed claims that the state government has issued any special directive to drop cases of non-Muslim illegal foreigners, stating that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) already ensures their protection.

“The state government has not issued any direction, except what has already been provided in the CAA. If there is any cabinet decision, I always come and share it with you. No special decision has been taken,” Sarma told reporters after a cabinet meeting here.

He explained that the CAA protects Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, from punitive action. “That is the law of the land unless the Supreme Court strikes it down. For that, no special decision is required,” he added.

Sarma also mentioned that the state cabinet had earlier taken two specific decisions on withdrawing Foreigners Tribunal (FT) cases—one concerning the Koch-Rajbongshi community and the other regarding Gorkhas.

However, official documents accessed by PTI indicate that on July 22, the Assam government directed all district administrations to review cases of suspected non-Muslim illegal foreigners—such as Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Rohingyas—who entered the state before 2015. The order, signed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Political) Ajay Tewari, also advised encouraging such individuals to apply for Indian citizenship under the CAA.

As per legal provisions, only FTs can declare a person a foreigner in Assam, and their verdicts can be challenged in higher courts. In July last year, the government had instructed the Border Police not to forward pre-2015 cases of non-Muslim illegal immigrants to the FTs and instead guide them to apply for citizenship through the CAA.

Enacted in 2019, the CAA aims to provide Indian citizenship to certain non-Muslim communities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India before the cutoff date, after five years of residence.

- PTI