SC Seeks Centre and Assam’s Reply on Fresh Plea Challenging CAA Rules

The Supreme Court, on April 19, sought responses from the Centre and the Assam government regarding a petition challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. The petitioner, Hiren Gohain, a resident of Guwahati, raised concerns about the demographic changes caused by the uncontrolled influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh to Assam. The plea argues that the CAA Rules are discriminatory, arbitrary, and against the basic structure of the Constitution. Gohain asserts that these rules violate fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21 of the Constitution.

He filed the plea in both his personal and representative capacity, seeking enforcement of the fundamental rights of indigenous people in Assam. The issue, as per the plea, is not communal but concerns the inundation of land belonging to indigenous people by foreign infiltrators. The rules, which came into force on March 11, 2024, have been challenged for allegedly discriminating against specific communities.