SC questions 40-yr delay in deporting B'desh nationals

The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the 40-year delay by the Centre and Assam government in deporting illegal Bangladeshi nationals after it was informed that pursuant to an order passed last month, 13 out of 270 alleged foreigners in an Assam detention camp have been identified and handed over to Bangladesh.

- Abraham Thomas

NEW DELHI:

A bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said, "The Assam Accord was signed in August 1985 (almost 40 years ago). Why have you not deported them so far? People (in the state) are agitated. Why don't you deport them?" The Assam Accord was signed between Union government, the Assam government, All Assam Students Union and Assam Gana San-gram Parishad and fixed a cut-off date of March 25, 1971, beyond which anybody who entered the state from Bangladesh was an illegal migrant and liable to be deported.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and Assam government, pointed out that these issues are dealt through diplomatic channels given their sensitivity. "The process is ongoing. Unless the other country does not accept these persons as their citizens, they cannot be deported. We persuaded Bangladesh government to accept 13 persons after their citizenship was verified. Once this exercise is done, deportation will be simultaneously done."

The state submitted that as regards the remaining detainees, the nationality status verification (NSV) forms have been forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) which now has to engage with its counterpart in the foreign country.