'Will deport those who came after 2015': Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on CAA

Himanta Biswa Sarma

Outlining the Assam government's position on the Citizenship Amendment Act rules, state chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unequivocally stated that individuals coming to India before 2015, have the first right to apply for citizenship. He equally stressed  that those who came after 2015 would be deported as per the provisions of the act.

"Only eight people have applied so far and two out of these eight appeared in the interview. Anybody (according to the CAA rules) who has come to India before 2015, they have the first right to apply for citizenship," said the CM.

The statement comes months after Assam chief minister's submission that CAA would be "completely insignificant" as there would be least applications in the state.

He pointed out how the anti-CAA protest leaders had tried to scare people, saying that up to 50 lakh illegal immigrants could get citizenship under the amended law.

Citizenship is a sensitive issue in Assam that has for decades singed in the fire of anti-outsider movement. Five people were killed in 2019 when Assam saw a massive anti-CAA agitation.

Himanta said that it had become clear that members of the Bengali Hindu community who don't feature on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) wouldn't apply under the CAA for citizenship. "They say they came to India prior to 1971," said Sarma, referring to the cut-off year for citizenship in Assam.

"I have met many people, they are telling us that 'we are convinced about our Indian citizenship, we want to prove that in a court of law," said Sarma. "That is the general sentiment among the people in Assam," he added.

Assam conducted a Supreme Court-monitored National Register of Citizenship (NCR) exercise, the list of which came out in 2019. About 19 lakh people didn't find their names on the updated NRC list that proves citizenship.

The rules for the CAA were notified on March 11 years after the law was passed in 2019 to fast-track citizenship for non-Muslims, who have entered India from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, before 2015. Groups such as the All Assam Students’ Union protested against the CAA and burnt copies of its rules.