Are you waiting for an auspicious time to expel infiltrators ? : SC

Supreme Court reprimands Assam Government

New Delhi – The Supreme Court has reprimanded the Assam Government for failing to deport individuals declared as illegal infiltrators and for keeping them indefinitely in detention centres (facilities designated to house individuals who have illegally entered the country for a specific period). The Court questioned whether the Assam Government was waiting for an auspicious moment to act. It directed the Government to begin deporting 63 individuals currently held in detention centres within two weeks. (With crores of infiltrators present in the country and the state, apprehending only 63 individuals is truly shameful – Editor)

The Supreme Court also raised concerns over the Assam Government’s claim that deportation was not possible because the infiltrators had not disclosed their addresses in their home countries.

Addressing the Government’s legal representatives, the Court stated:

• When you declare someone a foreign national, you must take the next logical step. You cannot keep them in detention centres indefinitely. Article 21 of the Constitution exists.
• Assam has multiple detention centres for foreign nationals. How many people have you actually deported?

Editorial Perspective

This question must be asked not only to the Centre but to every state in the country. For decades, infiltration into India has continued, yet there has been no large-scale effort to detain and deport them. This reality is infuriating.