GUWAHATI: The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has welcomed the judgment of the Supreme Court declaring the constitutional validity of Clause 6A of the Citizenship Act.
Party President Lurinjyoti Gogoi and General Secretary Jagadish Bhuyan issued a statement in this connection describing it as timely, realistic and visionary.
Gogoi and Bhuyan, in their statement said, "This judgment reaffirms the constitutional validity of the Assam Accord. It vindicates our long-held position that the cut-off date for citizenship should be 1971, and it throws light on the misleading and self-serving nature of claims of the BJP on the deportation of foreigners."
Commenting on the implications of the ruling on the Citizenship Amendment Act, they said, "The court clarified that whoever entered Assam illegally after March 24, 1971, is an illegal immigrant. It, in practice, obliterates legal existence of the CAA. The judgment has reasserted that CAA is unconstitutional, and its repeal is a compulsion.
Gogoi and Bhuyan further flayed the BJP government for not doing much on its commitment towards deportation of the foreigners and asked the administration to respect the court's decision and take practical steps towards deporting or identifying illegal immigrants.
The Supreme Court, in an order given on 17th October, upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act 1955 by a majority of 4:1.
The Act recognizes the Assam Accord that allows Indian origin foreign migrants - who crossed over Assam during January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 - to seek Indian citizenship.
Section 6A of the Citizenship Act was enacted by an amendment done in 1985 to give effect to the Assam Accord.
A landmark verdict was delivered by a five-Judge constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, with Justices Surya Kant, MM Sundresh, JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra. Justice Pardiwala was the lone dissenter who wrote to uphold Section 6A as unconstitutional.
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