The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre returnable within two weeks on the pleas challenging the presidential order amending the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873 (BEFR) to deny Assam an inner line permit (ILP) system to insulate it from the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
A bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, while conducting hearing through video conference, however refused to grant ex parte stay on the operation of the presidential order, The Assam Tribune reported.
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Issuing notice to the Centre, the top court listed the matter for further hearing on July 6.
The petition was filed by the All Tai Ahom Students’ Union (ATASU) and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP).
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the organisations, said that the issue is of ILP system and the court should grant interim stay on the presidential order.
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The bench, however, said it cannot grant any interim stay on the order without hearing the Centre on the issue.
ATASU and AJYCP challenged the presidential order of December 11, 2019, terming it “unconstitutional”.
The petition said the President passed the order for amendment under Article 372(2) of the Constitution, although as per Article 372(3), he has the power to do so for only three years from the date of enactment of the Constitution, that is till 1953.
Both the organisations have sought inner line system in Assam to protect the indigenous people of the State from the effect of the CAA, especially from those people who have come from Bangladesh.