The Hindu : National : Group of Ministers to study order on Illegal Migrants Act

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Friday, Jul 15, 2005

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National

Group of Ministers to study order on Illegal Migrants Act

Vinay Kumar

It will hear the views of various parties and advise the Government: Patil

- PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN

Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Law Minister H.R. Bharadwaj briefing the media after the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on the IMDT Act, in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: : Two days after the Supreme Court struck down the Illegal Migrants Determination by Tribunal (IMDT) Act, the Centre decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to study the court order and suggest further course of action.

The decision to form the GoM was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), presided over by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here.

"The GoM will hear the views of various parties and advise the Government for further action," Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters after the meeting.

Sensitive issue

Mr. Patil said the order was being examined carefully by the Home Ministry and the Law Ministry for "proper and further action." Describing it as a "sensitive issue," Mr. Patil said "this is a matter on which people have expressed their views differently. The Government has decided to hear all shades of opinion before deciding finally as to how and what has to be done."

On whether the Government would go for a review petition before the Supreme Court, he said that no decision was taken on it.

Mr. Patil later met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and it is learnt that the order on IMDT Act figured during discussions.Sources indicated that the Centre may not challenge the Supreme Court order but may go for amendments in the Foreigners Act to incorporate some of the provisions of the now scrapped IMDT Act. Besides, the Home Minister, the GoM is likely to have Defence, Law and North-East Affairs Ministers on it.

The Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, who was in the Capital to attend the meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) said the State would explore the possibility of ensuring some "kind of legal protection" to the minorities under the Foreigners Act of 1946.

No comment on Salman

UNI reports from New Delhi:

Does cine star Salman Khan have any links with the underworld?

This question was put to Mr. Patil during the press briefing, referring to a story published in an English daily.

Mr. Patil shot back parrying the question: "Don't ask me to comment on what others have said through the media."

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