 "Himanta Biswa Sarma")
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday urged those opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to approach the Supreme Court for redressal of their grievance rather than taking up agitations.
While voicing his support for the Act, Sarma said many are opposed to it and there is a need to accommodate both points of view.
"In Assam, there are two sections of people, some support the CAA and I am one of them, and there are many who oppose it," Sarma said, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme here.
"We have to accommodate both points of view. We don't have to criticize somebody for opposing or supporting it," he added.
Citing the example of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) (IMDT) Act, the CM said, "A large section of people was opposed to it. It got scrapped by the Supreme Court and not by any agitation."
Urging those opposed to CAA to seek legal recourse, he said, "It was already taken to the Supreme Court but was not listed as rules were not framed. The minute the rules are notified, the case will be ready for argument and hearing."
"Instead of disturbing peace and tranquillity of the state, people must go to the court and ventilate their grievances," he said, adding that the SC is a neutral body and will listen to logical reasoning.
Opposition political parties as well as students' bodies and others have said they would launch statewide agitations if the CAA is implemented in the state.
More From This Section
The 16-party United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA) had on Wednesday announced that a state-wide bandh will be called the very next day the contentious act comes into force, followed by 'gherao' of the Janata Bhawan (the secretariat).
It had also submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, saying they would undertake a "democratic mass movement" across the state if the CAA is not repealed.
The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and 30 other groups have announced a series of agitational programmes against the CAA, including a 12-hour fast in all districts on March 9 during the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the northeastern state.
After the Rajya Sabha passed the CAA on December 11, 2019, the state had witnessed massive protests, with agitators engaging in pitched battles with security forces, forcing the administration to impose curfew in several towns and cities.
When the rules for the CAA are issued, the Narendra Modi government will start granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants - Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians - from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who had come to India till December 31, 2014.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said that the CAA rules would be notified and implemented before the Lok Sabha polls.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
