Guwahati: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday mentioned that Hindu Bengalis in Assam have not applied for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) because they are confident of their citizenship.
“There is no reason to suspect Hindu Bengalis as foreigners, as they have come before 1971. The CAA has no relevance in Assam,” CM Sarma said.
The Chief Minister, quoting former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, said she had ensured the settlement of Hindu Bengalis in 1971 and never spoke about their deportation.
“The Hindu Bengalis are confident that they are Indians. So they did not apply under CAA. There have been only 12 applications so far, and only three persons have been granted citizenship,” he said.
CM Sarma added that five died during anti-CAA protests in Assam, but the number of applicants remained negligible.
“There have been no applications since the Immigration and Foreigners’ (Exemption) Order, 2025, came into effect earlier this year,” CM Sarma said.
Sarma allayed any concern over the law’s repercussions in Assam.
“If there are lakhs of applications, we will then consider the matter and take necessary steps, but as of now, this is not relevant in the state,” he said.
The Assam Accord, signed on August 15, 1985, ended a six-year-long anti-foreigner agitation in the state that claimed thousands of lives.