No specific direction issued for the release of non-Muslims from Assam detention centres, Centre informs Lok Sabha
Prameela K
Published on: 9 February 2020, 07:04 am
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]HE Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, informed the Lok Sabha on February 4 that, after enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, no specific instruction had been issued by the central government regarding release of declared foreigners belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, Christian and Jain communities who are currently in the detention camps in Assam.
The MoS was answering to question raised by Member of Parliament (MP) Abdul Khaleque from Assam – whether the government has taken any initiative to release those declared foreigners belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, Christian and Jain communities who are in detention camps.
The Mos, however, mentioned that an advisory was issued by the central government in January 2016 to the Government of Assam to examine the cases of all persons covered by various court cases filed in Guwahati High Court and to release them from detention centres if they satisfy the conditions and requirements as laid down in the notification dated September 7, 2015.
2015 notification
Under the 2015 notification, the central government by invoking the power under Section 3 (2) (c) of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and Section 3 (A) of the Foreigners Act, 1946 made rules for exemptions for a certain class of individuals.
Section 3 (2)(c) of the Passport Act, 1920 empowers the central government to make any rules to provide for the exemption, either absolutely or on any condition, of any person or class of persons from any provision of the Passport Act. While Section 3 (A) empowers the central government to make any orders regarding entry and departure of any class of persons under the Foreigners Act.
While making the amendments in the Passport (Entry into India) Amendment Rules, 1950 and the Foreigners Order, 1948, the central government made the following rules of exemption in the notification:
