Assam State Jamiat Ulama general secretary Rafiqul Islam. Photo: Northeast Now

Assam State Jamiat Ulama (ASJU) on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government for ‘harassing’ the people in the name of D-voter (doubtful voter) to update the NRC.

ASJU demanded that hearings of D-voter cases should be held at the Foreigner’s Tribunal in the respective districts of the persons against whom summons have been issued.

Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!

ASJU general secretary Dr Hafiz Rafiqul Islam said, “A large number of poor people appearing before the foreigner’s tribunals have to face severe economic problems as they have to travel a long distance to fight the cases. This has become painstaking for a person from Barpeta to appear before the foreigner’s tribunal in Karimganj or Guwahati or somewhere else.”

While citing an example of one Moinul Haque of Karimganj district, Islam said, “Haque had to travel from Karimganj to Guwahati for hearings on D-voter case. The court did not allow the case to be transferred to Karimganj though he applied before the authority concerned.”

Islam also informed that the case of Moinul Haque is in the Supreme Court now.

Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!

“The case of Haque is in the highest court under Assam State Jamiat Ulama’s guidance,” Islam said.

Islam also informed that the case of Haque (SLP case no 12467/2018) was heard on Monday in the division bench of Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and Justice Indu Malhotra of the Supreme Court.