SC registers AASU's case against Citizenship Act

The Supreme Court has registered on Friday a case by All Assam Students Union(AASU) challenging the amended Citizenship Act, AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said.

Bhattacharya, who was addressing a meeting here amidst the indefinite curfew, hit out at the BJP top leadership for "betraying" the people of Assam.

He also criticised President Ram Nath Kovind for his assent to the Citizenship Amendment Bill on Thursday night within days of the passage of the controversial legislation in Parliament. "This is very unfortunate," Bhattacharya said.

"I am happy to tell you that Supreme Court today registered our case. Now our legal battle will start. Simultaneously, our peaceful democratic protest will continue till the Act is repealed," he said. He said the people of Assam does not trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi anymore as he had betrayed them by welcoming illegal Bangladeshis. "Modi had promised to deport all illegal immigrants after May 16, 2014. He did not send back a single illegal Bangladeshi, instead he is now welcoming them," Bhattacharya, who also the adviser to North East Students Organistaion, said.

The Assam Accord is a "national commitment" and it was discussed in Parliament before getting constitutional validity. "How can you (BJP) dismiss it by bringing in CAB? After the Accord was signed, BJP leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani had welcome it," he said.