Deport foreigners, not citizens: Jamiat president Maulana Mahmood Madani on Assam evictions

Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Mahmood Madani has voiced concern over the ongoing eviction drives in Assam, urging the authorities to distinguish between genuine foreigners and Indian citizens. While supporting the deportation of illegal migrants, Madani stressed that displaced Indian citizens must be provided rehabilitation on humanitarian grounds.

Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati on Tuesday, September 2, the Jamiat chief said his visit to several eviction-hit areas had left him disheartened. “Eviction drives are not unusual; they happen in many places. But what I witnessed here was saddening. A nation and its communities are built upon systems and laws. When those systems are violated or trampled upon, it becomes unfortunate and painful. The more it is condemned, the less it is,” he remarked.

Madani also criticized the use of terms such as ‘unknown,’ ‘miyas,’ or ‘doubtful’ to describe affected families, arguing that such language deepens divisions and causes more harm than the eviction itself.

“Some people use such derogatory labels to maintain power. While I regret the distress caused by the eviction drive, what pains me even more is this mindset. No one supports the stay of outsiders in Assam—we want foreigners deported. But if those displaced are Indian citizens, they must be rehabilitated with dignity and compassion,” he added.