In a major development, the Assam government has instructed the police not to forward cases of eligible individuals who entered India before 2014 - the cut-off date under the CAA rules - directly to the Foreigners Tribunals.
They should instead be encouraged to apply for citizenship through the CAA, the government said, adding that their applications will be assessed by the Government of India based on the facts and circumstances of each case. A separate register will be maintained for this category of individuals.
"Eight people have applied under CAA and of them, only two appeared for the citizenship interview. We will give a chance to everyone whose cases are pending at different courts to apply for CAA. We cannot withdraw the pending cases in court. However, all Foreigners Tribunal judges are also aware of CAA and we will ask public prosecutors to mention CAA in the cases," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the media in Guwahati this morning.
"We have also asked the police that before filing a Foreigner's Tribunal case, we should allow them to apply under the CAA," he said.
However, this will not apply to individuals who entered the state from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan after December 31, 2014, irrespective of their religion.
These individuals will be sent directly to the Foreigners Tribunal for further action.
In Assam, the Foreigners Tribunal decides if a person accused of being an illegal immigrant is a foreigner or an Indian citizen.
