GUWAHATI: Amidst widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the Northeast, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared on Thursday that the state would witness the fewest applications for Indian citizenship.
Addressing the press at Lok Sewa Bhawan, Chief Minister Sarma dismissed the significance of the CAA in Assam, asserting that the state would record minimal applications on the citizenship portal.
“The citizenship application cut-off date is December 31, 2014. In Assam, following the update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), only individuals who applied but were not listed will seek recourse through the CAA,” he said.
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The Chief Minister’s statement follows Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s reaffirmation of the BJP-led Centre’s firm stance on the Act, highlighting its importance in protecting persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries.
Earlier, on March 12, amid mounting protests against the rollout of CAA rules, Chief Minister Sarma had vowed to resign if even one individual, who hadn’t applied for the NRC, was granted citizenship.
While urging the public to maintain peace amid debates on citizenship issues, Sarma encouraged those opposing the Act to seek legal recourse.
“With two and a half years having passed since the CAA’s enactment in Parliament, those contesting its legitimacy have recourse to the courts. As a son of Assam, if even one individual who hasn’t undergone the NRC process is granted citizenship, I will be the first to tender my resignation,” he said during a press conference in Sivsagar.
In a parallel development on Tuesday, Assam’s Leader of the Opposition and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) knocked on the Supreme Court’s door seeking a stay on the contentious Act.
