Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated in the state assembly that the identification of illegal foreigners does not depend on their community. He emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing cases of ‘Doubtful’ (D) voters through Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) for prompt resolution.
Assam CM Clarifies Stand on Community Identification in Foreigner Identification
D-voters are individuals who couldn’t provide evidence of their Indian nationality and number around 96,987 in the state. Out of these, 94,412 cases are pending before FTs, with 1,49,732 cases already disposed of by December 31, 2023.
Sarma clarified that the exemption of the Gorkha community from being declared foreigners was based on a decision by the state Cabinet, following an Indo-Nepal treaty. He highlighted that the government does not categorize D-voters based on their community, reiterating that foreigners are not identified by such distinctions. Regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Sarma mentioned that while the Act has been passed, rules are yet to be framed.
Once implemented, the CAA will grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from select countries who arrived in India until December 31, 2014.
