GUWAHATI: The Assam government has told the state police to stop initiating proceedings against persecuted minorities belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered the country before December 31, 2014, and are entitled to Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) operationalised on March 11 this year.
In a letter to the state police’s border wing, Assam’s home and political department said it should advise such people to apply for Indian citizenship rather than send their cases to the foreigners’ tribunal.
Under CAA, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains and Parsis from the three countries who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, are eligible for Indian citizenship.
“In view of the above provision of law, the border police may not forward cases of persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Jain and Christian community who entered India prior to December 31, 2014, directly to foreigners’ tribunals,” the home and political department’s July 5 letter to the border police said.
It said such people should be advised to apply for Indian citizenship and maintain a separate record of such people.
This story was originally published in hindustantimes.com. Read the full story here.
