Ex-Assam CM Prafulla Mahanta on SC order on Section 6A of Citizenship Act: 'Apex Court verdict in line with people's aspirations'

Guwahati: As a student of Gauhati University, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was at the helm of affairs of six-year-long anti-foreigners movement between 1979 and 1985 and even signed the Assam Accord with the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1985 that subsequently promised to detect and deport the foreigners with March 24, 1971 cut-off date. 

The accord, however, remained unimplemented despite Mahanta serving as Chief Minister twice between 1985 to 1990 and 1996 to 2000. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) government he led had drawn a lot of flak for the alleged failure to solve the foreigner issue. 

Mahanta, who earlier blamed the Centre for non-implementation of the Accord, however, sounded happy on Thursday as the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Section 6A of the Citizenship Act that gave legislative validity to the cut-off-date.

"I am happy today as the Supreme Court's verdict is in line with the aspiration of the Assamese people. Now the Centre and the state government should work together to solve the foreigner problem," Mahanta, 71 now, told DH over phone on Thursday evening. 

Ex-CM urges completion of NRC update following SC verdict on cut-off date

The former CM said that the exercise to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) should be completed given the Supreme Court's verdict removing the questions over the cut-off-date. 

When asked about the CAA overstepping the cut-off-date of Assam Accord, Mahanta said, "There is nothing to say now regarding the CAA. All should accept the verdict of the Supreme Court."

Mahanta had hit the streets after the Narendra Modi government brought in the CAA in December 2019 even as his party AGP was a part of the BJP-led coalition government. AGP is still part of the government. Mahanta has been sidelined by the AGP leaders, who are serving as ministers in the Himanta Biswa Sarma government.