Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma revealed that only eight individuals have applied for citizenship under the amended Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) over the past four months.
Notably, just two of these applicants have attended their interviews.
“When I contacted many Hindu Bengali families, they told me they are convinced of their Indian citizenship, having entered India before 1971, and prefer proving their citizenship in court rather than applying under CAA,” Sarma stated.
Addressing concerns about dropping CAA-related cases against Hindu Bengalis, Sarma clarified, “This is misleading. We cannot drop any cases. We are only advising that applicants use the portal, as filing a case without applying will yield no results—they are entitled to citizenship.”
Sarma criticised anti-CAA protest leaders for creating fear by claiming up to 50 lakh illegal immigrants could gain citizenship under the amended law.
Citizenship remains a sensitive issue in Assam, long marked by anti-outsider sentiment. In 2019, five people were killed during massive anti-CAA protests.
“We are not deciding on dropping or not dropping cases; we are merely highlighting the legal provisions,” he added.
In a related development, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced her intention to push for the revocation of CAA in Parliament.
Speaking in Kolkata, Banerjee questioned the durability of the NDA government and emphasized the need for the central government to settle financial dues owed to all states. Addressing her party members, she affirmed the TMC’s close monitoring of the political situation and highlighted the country’s need for change following the recent election results.
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