Calling the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) “unconstitutional”, Opposition parties in Assam on Thursday submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu through Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, demanding the Act be repealed.
The 16-party United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA) asserted that they would undertake a “democratic mass movement” across the northeastern state if the CAA, which is seen as contravening the provisions of the Assam Accord, is brought into force.
Under the Assam Accord, which came after a six-year-long agitation, a cut off date of 1971 (Bangladesh War) was set for recognising those who entered the state without proper papers after that as illegal immigrants. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) also had the same cut-off date.
The development comes in the backdrop of Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying that CAA will be implemented before the Lok Sabha elections that are scheduled in April-May this year.
Assam had witnessed the most heated protests against the controversial Act in 2019-2020, leading to the death of five people.
In their memorandum, they stated that the CAA was passed by the Parliament in 2019 “ignoring the sentiment of the people of Assam”.
“Now the Hon’ble Union Home Minister very recently declared that the CAA is going to be implemented in Assam before the upcoming Lok Sabha election. As this Act is not only unconstitutional but also it is going to nullify the Historic Assam Accord of 1985 by putting in danger the History, Culture, Social Fabric, Economy and the very identity of the Assamese people. Therefore, we the Opposition Political Parties urge you to intervene in this most sensitive matter and direct the Government of India to desist from its decision to implement the CAA in Assam and also to repeal this unconstitutional and anti-national Act,” the Opposition forum stated.
They said that if their appeal was ignored, the people of Assam “will have no alternative” but to launch a mass movement.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that there was no relevance of protests against the CAA, and those opposing it may approach the Supreme Court to revoke it.
Speaking at a press conference, the CM said that Parliament is “not supreme” as the top court is above it and it can terminate any legislation that has been enacted, as was done in the electoral bonds case.