Guwahati: On Tuesday, a Constitution Bench listed a series of petitions challenging Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 for January 10, 2023.
The section allows citizenship to illegal immigrants, mostly from neighbouring Bangladesh, who entered Assam before March 1971.
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As per reports, the petitions were lying dormant.
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It may be mentioned that Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 offers Special provisions as to the citizenship of persons covered by the Assam Accord.
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The section was inserted as a special provision into the Citizenship Act1955, after the ‘Assam Accord’ was signed on August 15, 1985.
The act was signed by the then Rajiv Gandhi government with the leaders of the Assam Movement.
The accord was signed for preserving and ensuring the protection of the Assamese culture, heritage, linguistic and social identity.
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It may be mentioned that Section 6A grants foreigners who had entered Assam before January 1, 1966, “ordinarily resident” status in the State. They are granted all the rights and obligations of Indian citizens.
Along with this, people who entered Assam between January 1, 1966, and March 25, 1971, would have the same rights and obligations except that they would not be able to vote for 10 years.