Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the state government’s current policy is to push back foreigners irrespective of their inclusion in the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The Chief Minister said that 19 illegal immigrants were deported on Tuesday. He added that it was practically impossible to push back hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants all at once, but emphasized that despite the challenges, the government would continue to carry out the process.
He said, “The state will continue its efforts to identify and deport illegal immigrants, regardless of their inclusion in the NRC, if there is sufficient evidence to deem them foreign nationals.”
CM Sarma stated that the manner in which the NRC was conducted in Assam raises significant doubts over its credibility and cannot be the sole determinant of citizenship.
The NRC, an official record of bona fide Indian citizens living in Assam, was updated under the supervision of the Supreme Court and released on August 31, 2019, leaving out more than 19 lakh applicants.
However, it has not been notified by the Registrar General of India, leaving the controversial document without any official validity.
‘Many people had entered their names in the NRC by using unfair means. So we have adopted the policy of pushing back (foreigners) if the authorities are absolutely convinced that the persons concerned are foreigners,” the CM said.
Since last month, a nationwide drive has led to the detention of numerous individuals across Assam on suspicion of being doubtful citizens, with many subsequently pushed back to Bangladesh. Some of these individuals returned after Bangladesh refused to accept them as citizens.
”Personally, I am not convinced that the presence of a name in the NRC alone is enough to determine that someone is not an illegal migrant,” he said.
Sarma alleged that social activist and author Harsh Mander had camped in Assam for two years, and sent some youths from the state to America and England for education and encouraged them to manipulate the NRC.
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During a special assembly session on June 9, the chief minister announced that the state government will implement the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950. This act empowers district commissioners to declare and evict illegal immigrants.
