CM Hemanta vows rapid action
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said : the process to detect and deport
declared foreigners will be fast-tracked, with legal steps taken against those
not appealing in higher courts.
Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the process of
identifying foreign nationals in the state would be accelerated, with legal action
to follow against those already declared as foreigners.
Speaking at a press conference, Sarma clarified that individuals labelled as
foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunal have the right to challenge the decision in
the Gauhati High Court.
"We have not taken action against those who have stated that they have
appeals pending before the Supreme Court or the High Court, but those who
have not appealed in the higher judiciary will be pushed back," the chief minister
said.
He mentioned that during a recent meeting with district police heads, it was
decided to intensify efforts to detect foreigners.
"The detection of foreigners was temporarily suspended due to the update of
the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state but now we have
decided to speed up the process," he added.
Referring to a recent incident, Sarma said that 35 Bangladeshi nationals who
entered India through the international border in Meghalaya and Silchar, Assam,
had been sent back.
He made it clear that if someone does not legally challenge a tribunal’s
declaration of them as a foreign national, "their right to stay in Assam is
forfeited."
"It is all about the judicial process and we are working as per the law.
If the judiciary has given a stay order, we respect it, but if there is no order,
they will be pushed back," he emphasised.
Sarma also referred to a Supreme Court directive that called for the
deportation of declared foreign nationals.
Speaking about a recent case involving a retired schoolteacher, Sarma said
the individual had claimed their case was pending in the Supreme Court.
"Those who have the court order have been allowed to stay," he said,
stressing that legal documentation must be shown to the police in such cases.
