Illegal migrants: SC adjourns hearing till Monday

New Delhi, Apr 28 (UNI) The Supreme Court today adjourned till Monday the hearing of arguments on PIL challenging the Union Home Ministry order dated Feb.6, 2006 on the detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migrants from the border state of Assam.

Earlier senior counsel Ashok Desai appearing for the petitioner Sarbananda Sonowal, seeking interim stay against the operation of the impugned Home Ministry order pleaded that there can not be separate regime for Assam and the condition of passing on the burden on the complainant or the state to prove the nationality of an illegal migrant, has made the detection and deportation of such illegal migrants virtually impossible.

Desai also pleaded that this order was passed due to vote bank politics and these illegal migrants from the neighbouring country where Pakistan intelligence agency ISI is quite active are a grave threat to the security of the country.

Petitioner's counsel today concluded his argument by alleging that the impugned order had been issued to circumvent the Supreme Court ruling declaring the Illegal Migrants Detection Tribunal Act as unconstitutional.The counsel also pleaded that natives of the state had been reduced to minority due to infiltration by Bangladeshi migrants and that demographic structure of the state was under grave threat.

The bench comprising Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha and Mr. Justice P.K.

Balasubramanyan adjourned the hearing till Monday when the Union of India shall respond to the allegations of the petitioner.

UNI AKS/SC RP KN1916