GUWAHATI: The Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha (ASM), an umbrella body of over 30 indigenous organizations, on Friday stated it is going to problem the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, within the Supreme Court in case it is passed within the Rajya Sabha.
Talking to TOI, ASM running president Motiur Rahman stated the apex court docket’s constitutional bench is already hearing a petition in opposition to the Centre’s notification of September, 2015, which prepared the ground for an ordinance for amending the Citizenship Act through tabling the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016. The petition was once filed through eight intellectuals of the state below ASM in 2016.
“So, in case the invoice is passed through the Rajya Sabha, it is going to upload to our present petition that is currently with the constitutional bench. It will likely be mechanically challenged within the Supreme Court as the petition in opposition to the September, 2015, notification and passage of the invoice are related,” stated Rahman.
The invoice, which seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains and Parsees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who've taken safe haven in India until December 31, 2014, due to spiritual persecution, was once passed through the Lok Sabha final month.
The September, 2015, notification exempted spiritual minorities from those international locations the supply of regulations below the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Foreigners Act, 1946, in respect in their access and keep in India on humanitarian grounds.
Saying that the invoice is in opposition to is the secular foundation of the Constitution and is danger to the indigenous other folks of the state, Rahman added, “The phrase secular is included within the Preamble of our Constitution. But the invoice has made religion the basis of granting citizenship. This invoice can't be justified.” He stated the invoice will damage the identification and rights of indigenous other folks.
Rahman further stated, “Indigenous individuals are already threatened through accepting March 24, 1971, as the cutoff date within the Assam Accord because it prepared the ground for lakhs of foreigners, who've settled within the state previous to that date, to get citizenship. The invoice will further spell doom for them.”
The Citizenship Act, 1955 has special provisions for Assam based on the cutoff date of the Accord.
ASM is without doubt one of the petitioners within the Supreme Court, difficult March 24, 1971, as the cutoff date based on which the present NRC update is underway. The petition, filed in 2012, is currently pending with the charter bench. Other petitioners are National Democratic Front of Boroland (Progressive) and Indigenous Tribal People’s Front. Also, petitions filed through the family members of ‘martyrs’ of Assam Agitation in 2014, Ahom Sabha in 2015 and 8 prominent voters in 2016, difficult the cutoff date, were clubbed for hearing through the constitutional bench.
Talking to TOI, ASM running president Motiur Rahman stated the apex court docket’s constitutional bench is already hearing a petition in opposition to the Centre’s notification of September, 2015, which prepared the ground for an ordinance for amending the Citizenship Act through tabling the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016. The petition was once filed through eight intellectuals of the state below ASM in 2016.
“So, in case the invoice is passed through the Rajya Sabha, it is going to upload to our present petition that is currently with the constitutional bench. It will likely be mechanically challenged within the Supreme Court as the petition in opposition to the September, 2015, notification and passage of the invoice are related,” stated Rahman.
The invoice, which seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains and Parsees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who've taken safe haven in India until December 31, 2014, due to spiritual persecution, was once passed through the Lok Sabha final month.
The September, 2015, notification exempted spiritual minorities from those international locations the supply of regulations below the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Foreigners Act, 1946, in respect in their access and keep in India on humanitarian grounds.
Saying that the invoice is in opposition to is the secular foundation of the Constitution and is danger to the indigenous other folks of the state, Rahman added, “The phrase secular is included within the Preamble of our Constitution. But the invoice has made religion the basis of granting citizenship. This invoice can't be justified.” He stated the invoice will damage the identification and rights of indigenous other folks.
Rahman further stated, “Indigenous individuals are already threatened through accepting March 24, 1971, as the cutoff date within the Assam Accord because it prepared the ground for lakhs of foreigners, who've settled within the state previous to that date, to get citizenship. The invoice will further spell doom for them.”
The Citizenship Act, 1955 has special provisions for Assam based on the cutoff date of the Accord.
ASM is without doubt one of the petitioners within the Supreme Court, difficult March 24, 1971, as the cutoff date based on which the present NRC update is underway. The petition, filed in 2012, is currently pending with the charter bench. Other petitioners are National Democratic Front of Boroland (Progressive) and Indigenous Tribal People’s Front. Also, petitions filed through the family members of ‘martyrs’ of Assam Agitation in 2014, Ahom Sabha in 2015 and 8 prominent voters in 2016, difficult the cutoff date, were clubbed for hearing through the constitutional bench.
Will challenge citizenship bill in SC if RS passes it: ASM
![Will challenge citizenship bill in SC if RS passes it: ASM]()
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February 09, 2019
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