Assam Govt Asks Police Not To Prosecute Non-Muslim Immigrants Who Entered State Before 2015

Guwahati: The Assam government has urged its border police unit urging them not to forward cases of non-Muslim illegal immigrants entering the state before 2015 to the Foreigners Tribunal, and advised them to apply for citizenship under the CAA.

In a letter to the Special Director General of Police (Border), Home and Political Secretary Parth Pratim Majumdar referred to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and said all those non-Muslim immigrants who entered India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan by 2014 are eligible to be granted Indian citizenship.

The letter, issued on July 5, asked the Assam Police's border wing not to forward the cases of persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Jain and Christian communities who entered India prior to December 31, 2014 directly to the Foreigners Tribunal (FT).

Majumdar stated that such persons should be advised to apply on the citizenship portal for consideration of their application by the Indian government.

"However, this facility will not be available to people who entered into Assam from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan after 31st December, 2014 irrespective of their religion. Once detected, they should be forwarded to the jurisdictional Foreigners Tribunal for further action," he said.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the letter was issued as per norms.

"It was a statutory order. There is nothing objectionable in that and it was as per law," he asserted.

Sarma also said anyone coming to Assam in 2015 or later will be deported back to their country of origin.

According to the Assam Accord, names of all foreigners coming to the state on or after March 25, 1971, would be detected and deleted from electoral rolls, and steps would be taken to deport them.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has made a big statement claiming that the Muslim population in the state has reached 40 per cent now. 

"Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, Muslim population has reached 40% today. In 1951, it was 12%. We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and death for me", Himanta told reporters in Ranchi on Wednesday.

Moments after his remarks made national headlines, Himanta, in an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, revealed how several districts in Assam have changed from being Hindu-dominated to a Muslim majority and why this was a 'matter of life and death for him'. The Assam CM also explained how migrants from Bangladesh and neighbouring countries were actually driving the sharp rise in population, thereby putting a stress on resources.

"Arnab, I am speaking on the basis of the 2011 census. Every ten years, Assam witnesses a growth of the Muslim population by 30 per cent. This is a simple calculation, and maybe I am being a little bit conservative. The total Muslim population might have crossed 40 per cent," Himanta Biswa Sarma said on his 40 per cent Muslim population in Assam now.

"Out of the total 40 per cent, 3 to 4 per cent would be original Indigenous Muslims, and 36 to 37 per cent would be Muslims who have come from Bangladesh, who are immigrants," Himanta further added, following up on his earlier remarks.

(With Inputs from PTI)