The Assam government has “pushed back” 303 “foreigners” and will continue to do so under the 1950 Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, Chief Minister said on Monday.

“Another 35 is in our hand and they will be sent once the [flood] waters recede,” the Bharatiya Janata Party leader told the state Assembly. “The Supreme Court clearly said the illegal expulsion act is valid and if the government wishes, they can expel the foreigners without going to Foreigners Tribunals.”

Sarma’s remarks in the Assembly came two days after he claimed that persons declared foreigners were being “” to Bangladesh under a .

The Supreme Court, while hearing the challenges to Section 6A of the 1955 Citizenship Act, had said that “there is no legal requirement for the Assam government to always approach the judiciary in order to identify foreigners”, Sarma had told reporters on Saturday.

In October, the Supreme Court had upheld the of Section 6A of the 1955 Citizenship Act.

Section 6A was introduced as a special provision under the Act when the Assam Accord was signed between the Union government and leaders of the Assam Movement in 1985. It allows foreigners who came to Assam between January 1, 1966, and March 25, 1971, to seek Indian citizenship.

Indigenous groups in...