Application in SC Seeks Contempt Against Amit Shah For Statement on NRC, Citizenship Bill

An application was filed in the Supreme Court on Friday praying for initiation of suo motu contempt proceedings against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah over his statement made during election campaigning to the effect that the Citizenship Amendment Bill will come first and then the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Assam Andolan Sangrami Manch, through its convenor Pranab Goswami, has moved the application seeking permission to intervene in the related matter.

The applicant said the organisation was constituted in the year 2015 solely for the purpose of protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 which, it stressed, stands for treating the illegally migrated people of Hindu, Christian, Parsi, Jain and Sikh from Pakistan, Afghanistan Bangladesh not as illegal migrants since the Bill, if it comes into force, will affect the interest of the indigenous people of Assam, basically employment, economy, language, culture and heritage of the indigenous people will suffer.

Stressing on the backwardness and lack of industrial development the state has suffered, the applicant said, "…while the government has failed to show good gesture towards protection of languages, culture and heritage of different ethnic people of Assam and the indigenous people are under serious apprehension of falling into minority because of the recent census report, it is only because of the Supreme Court that people of Assam have seen a ray of hope and a brighter future as the court by investing its precious time has taken the burden of updating NRC under its own supervision to get amelioration of problems arisen from illegal immigrants."

"Under such a situation when there is huge relief and lots of expectations in the mind of people of Assam from this court, the recent statement of Party President of BJP, Amit Shah at various election rallies and press conference at West Bengal that the Citizenship Act, 1955 (Amendment) Bill will come first and then the NRC will come so that Hindu infiltrators could be incorporated in the NRC by giving them citizenship has left the people of Assam shocked, surprised and scared.

"This statement has given a colour of religion to the process of updating the NRC which holy work is being monitored by this court without any discrimination of religion," it said in the application.

The application said Shah's statement is an onslaught of the judicial process and has given an impression that the NRC is being brought by the BJP government.

"The general public in the state of Assam is confused by such statement as everyone was under a hope that the entire process is being carried out under strict observation of this court so the issue qua the Citizenship Act, 1955 (Amendment) Bill has no relevance as on date as the NRC will be updated first. But the effort of Amit Shah in creating doubt and confusion over the process of updating NRC stepping ahead of the Supreme Court is a deliberate interruption to the apex court's judicial process for the narrow election gain for his party," said the Manch which has former Chief Minister of Assam Prafulla Kumar Mahanta as its chief advisor. The Manch sought permission to intervene and urged the court to look into Shah's statement to decide if the same is its contempt.

Courtesy: Live Law