New Delhi: A furious Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who himself is from Assam, on Friday blasted the Assam Chief Secretary and the Assam Government over their lackadaisical attitude on foreigners in the border state.
The Apex Court was livid over Assam government for proposing the release of detained foreigners after five years with a bond and biometric.
This was stated through an affidavit by Assam Chief Secretary Alok Kumar in the Harsh Mander Versus Union of India on unlawful detention of foreigners on Friday.
“This man doesn’t know what he is doing. He is signing on dotted lines. Mr. Chief Sec, you are in serious trouble. We are going to issue a notice to you for making slanderous statements against the Law.”
Assam Government’s stand comes on the wake of highly controversial citizenship bill of the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre for which the state and all other region of North East were on fire. The bill could not become an act but the BJP is still for its revival despite unanimous protest from all the allies in the region.
The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP government for recommending conditional release of foreigners from detention centres in Assam.
It questioned as to how can a foreigner, who has illegally entered, be allowed to live in the country.
A bench headed by Chief Justice looked visibly upset after going through the Assam Chief Secretary’s affidavit.
The affidavit stated that the foreigners who have completed five years in detention centres may be released subject to furnishing security of Rs 5 lakh, verifying address, biometric of eyes among others.
The bench was critical of the fact that out of over one lakh people who were declared foreigners by tribunals, only four have been deported so far and above 900 are lodged in detention centres.
“You are asking the Supreme Court to be a part of an illegal order where a foreigner who has no right to stay in the country will remain and sign a bond and so on. Don’t you agree there has been a failure on the part of your government? We will order departmental proceedings against you right now. You have no right to continue in office,” the bench told the crestfallen Chief Secretary.
On this, the government responded, “These persons who are to be sent back to their countries are staying here illegally and have their names enrolled in the voters list.”
The bench then said that the stand of the government of India and Assam should be that the foreigners should be deported as soon as possible. “But, we do not see that stand.”
Meanwhile, the counsel appearing for the petitioner, social activist Harsh Mander, sought time to file his reply to the affidavit. His PIL had raised concern towards the plight of inmates in the detention camps in Assam.
