Guwahati, June 9: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday informed the Assembly that 303 declared foreigners have already been deported from the state, with 35 more awaiting deportation. He emphasized that the deportation process will now proceed independently of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), in line with a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Citing the verdict, Sarma said, “Deportation will now be a reality. Whether or not a person’s name appears in the NRC, if the district administration suspects them to be a foreigner, they can be pushed back under the 1950 Expulsion Act.”
The Chief Minister revealed that nearly 30,000 individuals declared as foreigners by Foreigners’ Tribunals are in the final stages of deportation, having failed to appeal their verdicts within the stipulated five-year period. “These cases have attained legal finality and their deportation is valid and enforceable,” he said.
However, Sarma clarified that those who have challenged their foreigner status in the Supreme Court or Gauhati High Court will not be deported until their cases are adjudicated. “Due process of law will be followed in every instance,” he assured.
Participating in a debate on a motion raised by Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia on the NRC issue, Sarma criticized the 2019 NRC for including ineligible individuals. “Many manipulated their legacy data to enter the NRC, including some already declared as foreigners,” he claimed, adding that over 2,600 fake social media accounts—some traced to Islamabad and Riyadh—were part of a misinformation campaign surrounding the process.
Sarma said the state has sought the Supreme Court’s permission to conduct a fresh verification of the NRC, with 20% re-verification proposed in border districts and 10% in the rest of the state. “If discrepancies are not found, we will accept the current list,” he stated.
He also informed the House that a central agency is currently securing the NRC data, a process expected to be completed within 8 to 12 months. Only then will acceptance and rejection slips be issued to applicants.
In his response, Saikia reiterated the importance of the NRC as a legal instrument to detect foreign nationals and demanded the release of the final NRC list. He also raised questions about the return of 65 individuals earlier deported to Bangladesh. “This reflects inconsistency in the government’s approach,” he said.
Defending his government’s stand, Sarma said Assam would no longer rely solely on the NRC to identify illegal immigrants. “District Commissioners will be empowered to act directly,” he declared, drawing on the legacy of former leaders like Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Bishnuram Medhi, Gopinath Bordoloi, and Tarun Gogoi.
Sarma assured the House that no genuine Indian citizen who entered Assam after March 25, 1971, would be deported. “But we are determined to stop future infiltration and send a clear message to Bangladesh,” he asserted.
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