CAA again on horizon, Assam Opposition prepares to raise it as poll issue, CM Sarma says go to SC

Amid hints from the Centre that the much-delayed rules for the implementation of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act will be notified before the Model Code of Conduct comes into force for the coming Lok Sabha elections, the battle lines are being drawn in Assam.

The state had seen some of the most heated protests against the Act in 2019-2020, and on Thursday, leaders of 16 anti-BJP parties met the Governor with a memorandum for President Droupadi Murmu urging the Centre to “desist” on implementing the CAA. They threatened a mass agitation if the Act, which is seen as contravening the provisions of the Assam Accord on the question of illegal immigrants, was brought into force.

The first to hit back from the other side was DGP G P Singh. Without specifically mentioning the Opposition’s call for a protest, Singh posted on X: “… with the GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of Assam pegged at Rs 5,65,401 crore, loss from a day’s bandh would be approximately Rs 1,643 crore recoverable from those who call for such a bandh in accordance with para 35(9) of the aforementioned order of the Hon’ble Gauhati High Court order.”

His reference was to a 2019 Gauhati High Court order on bandhs.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, meanwhile, asserting that there was no relevance of any protest against CAA at this point, said all those opposed to the law may approach the Supreme Court for revoking it.

Addressing a press conference, Sarma said Parliament, which had passed the law, is “not supreme” as the apex court is above it and can terminate any legislation enacted like what it did to the electoral bonds.

The 16 Opposition parties which called on Governor Gulab Chand Kataria are part of the ‘United Opposition Forum Assam’ – comprising