The Opposition parties in Assam are closing ranks to protest against the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, because it goes against the 1985 Assam Accord which provided for detection, deletion and deportation of foreigners illegally entering and staying in the state.

The exemption order was notified on September 1.

Though the notified order provides conditional exemption to people from Nepal, Bhutan besides Tibetans, Sri Lankan Tamils from the provisions of the act, what has sparked concern and outrage is the exemption granted to “a person belonging to a minority community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, namely, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian”.

The order said that the exemption will be extended to those “who were compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution or fear of religious persecution and entered into India on or before December 31, 2024 — i) without valid documents including passport or other travel documents; ii) or with valid documents including passport or other travel documents and the validity of such documents have expired”.

Earlier, the CAA, passed in 2019, had allowed these six communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to apply for citizenship if they had entered India before December 2014.

Ziaur Rahman, secretary of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), a regional party born out of the anti-CAA movement in 2019, told The Telegraph on Wednesday evening that the United Opposition Forum, which includes the Congress, will hold a protest at Chachal in Guwahati on Thursday against the new immigration exemption order.

“They have effectively extended the CAA deadline, which we oppose. We stand for the detection and deportation of illegal foreigners as per the 1985 Assam Accord. Period,” Rahman said.

Call for unity

Wednesday saw many objections against the new exemption order with Assam Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia calling all political parties and organisations, cutting across the lines, to unite and protest against the order.

Saikia is expected to address a media conference in Guwahati on Thursday to flag the threat to the people of state.

“This order is effectively an extension of the CAA cut-off date for illegal migrants trying to securing Indian citizenship. Under the CAA, it was December 2014, now it is December 2024 under the immigration exemption order. Assam is not a dumping ground. It has already taken the burden of illegal foreigners till 1971. People have to realise that the BJP, which talks of protecting jati-mati-bheti, is actually opening the floodgates for illegal immigrants to acquire Indian citizenship,” Saikia claimed.

Saikia further flagged an August 7 letter he had written to the AASU leadership to mobilise public opinion against the imposition of the CAA and to uphold the primacy of the Assam Accord that provides safeguards to the indigenous people from influx.

Saikia said extending refuge on humanitarian ground will put further strain on the state’s limited land, resources and livelihood options.

Assam Seva Dal chief Deep Bayan also echoed Saikia’s sentiments, urging the masses to raise the voice against against the potential threat to Assam’s future from illegal immigrants.

A womens’ group staged a protest in Saikia’s Nazira constituency against the order.

The day also saw the AJP protest against the Centre’s order that effectively extends the “deadline for granting Indian citizenship to “illegal foreigners” under the CAA, the rules of which were notified last year.

At the protest in Guwahati, AJP members described the September 1 notification as the “biggest crime” ever committed against the Assamese people, while accusing the BJP-led government “of perpetuating an unprecedented historical injustice”.

They also tore up copies of the “new CAA notification” and set them on fire.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday that only three persons have acquired citizenship from Assam under the CAA. 12 persons had applied for citizenship under CAA in the state.

In a statement, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan accused the BJP of endangering the very existence of the Assamese for the sake of votes.