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CAA didn’t have much impact in Assam: Himanta; Oppn decries Centre’s new rule
A fresh debate on CAA has started after the central government announced a relaxation for minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) didn’t have much impact in Assam as only 12 persons applied for Indian citizenship under it, and three of them were granted citizenship.
A fresh debate on CAA has started in the state after the central government announced a relaxation for minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, stating that Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from these countries who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, will not face legal action even if they lack valid travel documents or if their documents have expired.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notification on September 1 under the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, bringing these groups under special protection.
According to the order, these minorities are exempted from obligations under Sections 3(1), 3(2) and 3(3) of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and the related rules. This includes requirements such as entering India with a valid passport or visa, possessing valid travel documents at the time of entry, or continuing to stay only with proper documentation. In effect, unlike other foreigners, lack of documents will not be treated as a crime in their case.
A section of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including former member of Parliament (MP) from Silchar, Rajdeep Roy, claimed that this is an extension of the cut-off year of CAA. Roy wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Govt Of India extends the cut-off date of #CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) from 31.12.14 to 31.12.24.”
However, legal experts note that although the notification refers to the same six minority groups covered under CAA, it does not exten CAA’s 2014 cut-off for citizenship applications.
Dharmananda Deb, former member of a Foreigners Tribunal in Silchar, said:
“Under CAA, the cut-off date for applying for Indian citizenship is December 31, 2014. The new notification does not alter that deadline. It only gives an additional safeguard for these minorities, allowing them to stay in India without fear of prosecution. They cannot directly claim citizenship under this order.”
Shishir Dey, former judge of a Foreigners Tribunal in Karimganj, said:
“The core message is that minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India up to December 31, 2024, will be exempt from action even without valid documents. Perhaps the government plans to amend CAA in future. For now, this order does not provide citizenship but grants protection from legal action.”
He added that after the regime change in Bangladesh in August 2024, many Hindu leaders and even some Muslim leaders took shelter in India, but the exemption order only covers six minority groups, excluding Muslims.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sushmita Dev questioned the government’s intent:
“What will be their identity? For how long will they enjoy this benefit? And what impact will this have on India’s citizenship framework? Is the government legitimising illegal entrants? If so, then those detained in Assam’s detention camps should also be released. The Supreme Court has already asked why the 63 detainees in Goalpara camp have not been deported. If the BJP government allows people entering till 2024 to stay, then why keep others behind bars?”
She alleged that the BJP is trying to gain electoral mileage ahead of elections.
“In 2016, just before elections, BJP brought the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which later became an Act. But it hardly helped anyone — only 12 applied and just three people got citizenship. Now, a similar order has been brought before elections, which appears politically motivated,” Dev said.
Congress leader and leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, said the order is against the spirit of the Assam Accord.
“Earlier we opposed CAA, and now we oppose this exemption. It allows infiltrators to stay until 2024. If this continues, Assam will lose its identity. Tomorrow, Assam may even demand separation from India. The BJP is destroying India’s future for its communal politics,” he said.
During a press conference on Wednesday, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was asked the same question and he said that CAA has had little impact in Assam and the rate of applications proves it.
“Before the law was implemented, some people claimed that lakhs of migrants will get Indian citizenship with this. But after one and a half years, we see only 12 of them applied. So I don’t feel this should remain a topic of discussion anymore,” he added.
