AASU welcomes Supreme Court decision on separate hearing

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Students Union has welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to hear petitions challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act from Assam and Tripura separately. Aasu, however, stated that the agitation against CAA will continue. Aasu and North East Students Organisation are among petitioners who have challenged CAA in the SC.
Aasu chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya told journalists: “Our advocates have contended that Assam has to be treated differently as far as CAA is concerned. There is a cut of date for detection of foreigners under the Assam Accord and we are happy that the SC has said that it will deal with anti-CAA petitions of Assam and Tripura separately. Our advocates pointed out that the Assam Accord stipulated that foreigners who entered the state after March 24,1971, irrespective of their religious affiliation, must be deported. They argued Assam, Tripura and other northeastern states have an history of infiltration and Assam had taken extra load of foreigners from 1951 to 1971. Our petition will be heard after the Centre files its reply within four weeks.”

Aasu, a signatory to the Assam Accord, is spearheading the anti-CAA protest since December last year. Bhattacharya said the twin fight against CAA will continue. “While protest against CAA will be continue in districts and villages, legal battle against the CAA will continue in the Supreme Court.” Former Tripura Congress chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Deb Barman said “we have given evidence of cross-border infiltration to the court”.