In a recent series of events in Assam's Nagaon district, the local administration has ordered the expulsion of 15 individuals declared as foreigners by various Foreigners' Tribunals. Simultaneously, the citizenship of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) has been challenged in the Gauhati High Court.
The Nagaon district administration, acting under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, has directed these 15 individuals to leave India within 24 hours of receiving the notice. According to official records from the District Commissioner's office, these individuals were declared foreigners after they failed to prove their Indian citizenship before the Foreigners' Tribunals. The cases were initiated following a letter from the Senior Superintendent of Police, Nagaon, on November 17, 2025. The affected individuals reside in villages under several police stations, including Raha, Kaliabor, Samaguri, and Rupahi.
The expulsion orders authorize district police, border authorities, and administrative officials to execute the removals. Authorities have been instructed to capture biometric and demographic details of the declared foreigners on the Foreigners Identification Portal (FIP), confiscate their movable and immovable property, delete their names from electoral rolls, cancel ration cards and Aadhaar cards, and remove them from all government social security schemes. The declared foreigners have been directed to exit Assam via the Dhubri / Sribhumi / South Salmara-Mankachar route.
The individuals facing expulsion include Jahura Khatoon, Abdul Aziz, Aheda Khatoon, Ajufa Khatoon, Hussain Ali, Fazila Khatoon, Anura Begum, Asha Khatoon, Md. Nazrul Islam, Md. Rahim Seikh, Burek Ali and Idrish Ali. The order issued to Jahura Khatoon stated that their presence in India/Assam is detrimental to the interest of the general public and also for the internal security of the state. Failure to comply with the expulsion order would compel the government to take appropriate action to remove them from the territory of Assam/India under the provisions of the Act.
In a related development, a writ petition has been filed in the Gauhati High Court challenging the citizenship of Bijoy Malakar, the Ratabari MLA. The petition seeks his disqualification from the Assam Legislative Assembly, arguing that he is not an Indian citizen. The petitioners, Braja Gopal Sinha and Bijoy Kumar Kanu, claim that Malakar and his parents entered Assam after the cut-off date of March 25, 1971, thus disqualifying him from Indian citizenship. They allege that Malakar's name does not appear in any voters' list prior to 2005 and that his father's name is also absent from the voters' lists of 1966, 1971, and even the 2005 electoral rolls. The petitioners claim that no linkage has been established with pre-1971 records. The Gauhati High Court has issued notices to the Assam state government and the Central government, seeking clarification on the MLA's eligibility.
These events underscore the ongoing focus on immigration and citizenship issues in Assam. The expulsion orders are part of intensified action under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, to enforce tribunal rulings regarding illegal immigration. The challenge to the BJP MLA’s citizenship highlights the sensitivity and scrutiny surrounding citizenship claims in the region.
