Author: PTI
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: February 27, 2001
Expressing Serious concern over
the way illegal Bangladeshi migrants are pouring in, the Supreme Court
on Monday said that they are a threat to both the economy and the security
of the country.
"They are eating into the economy
of the country and to a large extent a security threat," a three-judge
bench of Chief Justice A S Anand, Justice R C Lahoti and Justice Brijesh
Kumar said during the hearing of a PIL filed by O P Saxena seeking direction
to the government to stop this menace.
To prevent the illegal migrants
from Bangladesh, the steps taken were next to nil, the bench observed and
added "if this is not checked the problem will go on aggravating."
Solicitor General Harish Salve,
appearing for the Centre, said that the main stumbling block is the Illegal
Migrants Determination by Tribunal Act operating in Assam which gives a
long rope to the migrants to stay on in India.
He said though both the state government
and the Centre were of the opinion that the act was discriminatory and
has to be repealed, due to lack of political consensus the government was
not being able to repeal it. Salve said the court could examine the act
and if found discriminatory, quash the same.
Opposing this, senior advocate Kapil
Sibal appearing for general secretary of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee,
said once the government felt that it was to be repealed, necessary steps
have to be taken in Parliament and the court should not step in. The court
then adjourned the matter.
