AIUDF urges extradition treaty with Bangladesh, flags 'inhumane' pushback policy
The party also accused govt of using the deportation issue as a smokescreen to divert attention from more pressing matters
Guwahati, May 28: In the wake of the state government's intensified crackdown on illegal immigrants, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has called on the Centre to sign an extradition treaty with Bangladesh to ensure what it terms a “just and humanitarian” approach to deportation.
On Wednesday, AIUDF legislators, led by South Salmara-Mankachar MLA Aminul Islam, submitted a memorandum to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya urging a shift from the current pushback policy to a more legally grounded deportation process.
“We have presented a memorandum requesting the adoption of a fair and legal approach. If Bangladesh refuses to recognise the deportees as its citizens, can the Indian government at least consider providing them with work permits instead of abandoning them?” Islam asked.
He claimed that 14 individuals deported from South Salmara-Mankachar on Tuesday were left stranded in “No Man’s Land” between the two countries, as neither India nor Bangladesh accepted them.
“Many of them insist their families and forefathers are Indian citizens and that they possess valid documentation. Yet, they were expelled without due process,” Islam said, further alleging that those with pending litigation or being held in detention centres were also clubbed together and pushed across the border.
The legislator also accused the government of creating an atmosphere of fear, especially among Muslims. “This crackdown is being used to divert public attention from other pressing issues, including the arrests of Sankar Jyoti Baruah and Shrinkhal Chaliha,” he said.
Earlier in May, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the state would abandon legal proceedings in favour of a "pushback" model for dealing with illegal immigrants.
“We will no longer register cases or drag them into litigation. The government will now push back illegal infiltrators directly,” the Chief Minister had stated.