New Delhi, Dec 17 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed a larger bench to hear petitions challenging a constitutional clause which sought to offer Indian citizenship to Bangladeshi immigrants. Several organisations from Assam have petitioned Supreme Court against Section 6A of the Indian Citizenship Act. This section offers Indian citizenship to Bangladeshis who crossed over to Assam till March 25, 1971. Millions of Bangladeshis crossed over to India during the 1971 Liberation War to escape the atrocities by Pakistani troops. The court also decided to personally monitor the Assam Accord signed in 1985 to screen and deport illegal immigrants. The 29-year-old Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) was signed between the then Indian government and the Assam Movement, which was agitating against the undocumented migrations into Assam. A lawyer representing the petitioners, Manish Goswami, hailed the Supreme Court order. Another lawyer Somiran Sharma said the court also asked the Indian government to hold talks with Bangladesh for the smooth deportation of Bangladehi immigrants.
