Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, has raised significant concerns regarding what he describes as “unconstitutional detentions and illegal pushbacks” executed by the Assam Government along the India-Bangladesh border. In a letter to External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Saikia highlighted serious violations of constitutional rights and the judicial process related to the ongoing “push back drive.”
The letter, dated May 30, 2025, claims that since May 23, Assam Police have allegedly detained hundreds of Indian citizens, many of whom were not involved in any legal proceedings concerning citizenship. While some individuals have been released, Saikia pointed out that the lack of due process and transparency is troubling.
Saikia also referenced media reports indicating that many detainees, including women, were forcibly pushed into no-man’s-land at the India-Bangladesh border. Bangladesh has reportedly refused to accept them, effectively leaving them stateless.
The Congress leader warned that this operation not only contradicts India’s constitutional values but also breaches international human rights standards and the Union Government’s deportation protocols, which require “unambiguous verification of nationality” before repatriation. He reminded the External Affairs Minister of his own parliamentary comments reinforcing this position.
Furthermore, Saikia alleged that the current drive disproportionately targets Muslim communities, which risks exacerbating communal polarization and undermining India’s secular framework. He underscored that ongoing Supreme Court proceedings related to this issue make these actions a blatant violation of judicial authority.
In his statement, Saikia expressed that “Pushing Indian citizens into no-man’s-land without verification is unconstitutional and fundamentally inhumane. The repatriation during the pendency of a Supreme Court case constitutes a grave breach of the judicial process.”
He called for urgent intervention from the Central Government to halt all unconstitutional deportations, ensure proper nationality verification, release all wrongfully detained citizens, and publicly disclose the names and locations of the detainees. Saikia concluded by urging swift action from the Central Government to prevent further loss of life due to these reckless and illegal actions.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/debabrata-saikia-slams-state-over-unconstitutional-detentions-illegal-pushbacks-at-bdesh-border-1221850-2025-05-30?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2025-05-30 18:14:00
