The Hindu : National : Parties, students hail verdict

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Wednesday, Dec 06, 2006
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Parties, students hail verdict

Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI: Political parties and student bodies in Assam on Tuesday hailed the Supreme Court verdict quashing the notification on amendment to the Foreigners Act.

The All-Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the North-East Students' Oragnisation (NESO) said the verdict had vindicated their stand that the there cannot be two pieces of legislation — one for Assam and another for the rest of the country — to deal with the foreigners' problem. There was celebration at the AASU headquarters with its activists bursting crackers and distributing sweets.

AASU adviser and NESO chairman, Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya, said the two student bodies would like to warn the Central Government, the State Government and political parties, including the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Asom Gana Parishad, the CPI and the CPI (M) not to play any more games to protect the interest of illegal Bangladeshi migrants.

Sarbananda Sonowal, one of the petitioners and AGP MP from Dibrugarh, said the verdict had rekindled the hope of the people in judiciary and exposed the Congress' vote bank politics.

"Honour verdict"

"If the Congress has the slightest commitment for the country's sovereignty and integrity then it should not make any more mistakes of protecting illegal migrants and honour the Supreme Court verdict and take immediate steps for detection and deportation of all illegal Bangladeshi migrants from Assam," Mr. Sonowal said.

Senior BJP leader Dhurba Prasad Baishya said that the Supreme Court verdict had exposed what he called the dirty tricks of both the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre and the Congress Government in the State to incorporate indirectly the provisions of the erstwhile Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act 1983 in the Foreigners' Act. Apart from Mr. Baishya, other three petitioners of the BJP were Bimalangshu Roy, Charan Deka and Mukunda Rajbongshi.

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