Political parties and various organisations hold celebrations; the All Assam Students’ Union, one of the signatories to the Assam Accord, described the judgment as a victory of Assam movement
Political parties across the spectrum on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court judgment on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, inserted into the Act as a special provision to deal with the citizenship of people covered under the Assam Accord.
In a majority verdict, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A which grants Indian citizenship to immigrants who came to Assam between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971. The Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, also upheld the cut-off date of March 25, 1971, for entry into Assam and granting citizenship as correct.
One of the signatories of the Assam Accord, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) described the judgment as a victory of the Assam movement.
“This verdict re-established the rationality of the Assam movement and the Assam Accord. We demand again that every clause of the Assam Accord be fully implemented,” the AASU said in a statement.
The Assam Accord was signed in 1985 after a sixyear-long violent anti-foreigner movement. The pact stated, among other clauses, that names of all foreigners coming to Assam on or after March 25, 1971, would be detected and deleted from electoral rolls with steps taken to deport them.
The All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad was the other signatory of the Assam Accord. The third signatory was the Rajiv Gandhi-led Union government.
Former Law Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad hailed the Supreme order as a “historic verdict.”
Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, on X, said he respected the court’s decision to back the Assam Accord that brought peace to the State. “During that period the Prime Minister, the late Rajiv Gandhi, would engage with the student leaders despite political differences. Today the scenario is different. BJP calls protesters anti-nationals and Khalistanis. Or like Manipur, PM Modi pretends as if the State does not exist,” he said.