Debabrata Saikia, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, has raised significant concerns regarding the state government’s recent actions of “pushing back” allegedly undocumented migrants to Bangladesh.
He has accused the Assam Police of violating constitutional rights and due process in these operations.
Saikia, in a letter to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, alleged that the state’s actions appear to disproportionately target Muslim communities, undermining India’s secular fabric.
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has also petitioned the Governor, protesting the “continued” harassment of Indian Muslims on the pretext of identifying “illegal immigrants.”
Saikia claimed that since May 23, hundreds of Indian citizens, including some not involved in any citizenship-related legal proceedings, have been “arbitrarily detained.” While some have been released, these detentions highlight “serious procedural lapses.”
Citing media reports, Saikia alleged that several detainees, including women, were forcibly pushed into the “no man’s land” along the Indo-Bangladesh border, leaving them stateless as Bangladesh refuses to accept them. One such case involves Kahirul Islam, a former government school teacher whose citizenship case is still pending before the Supreme Court, yet he was allegedly picked up from a detention center and forced across the border.
Saikia emphasized that since several citizenship cases are pending before the apex court, these detentions and pushbacks constitute a “clear violation of the judicial process.” The Supreme Court itself has previously issued interim directions stating that no coercive steps should be taken against individuals whose cases are sub judice.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is known for anti-Muslim policies, has stated that the state is “duty-bound to protect the interests” of Assam and “expel all illegal immigrants from the state through any means and as per directions of the Supreme Court.”
The CM also claimed that persons with pending citizenship cases are not being detained. The state government has adopted a “push back” route as a solution to its long struggle for deporting “illegal migrants.”
Human rights organizations and affected families express deep concerns about the humanitarian consequences of these actions, including prolonged detention, family separation, and the risk of statelessness. The Supreme Court has also previously criticized the indefinite detention of declared “foreigners” and urged the state to expedite deportations.
