“Anyone who came before 1971 is 100 per cent Indian”: Assam CM says D-Voter cases nearly resolved

The number of Bengali Hindus marked as D-voters (doubtful voters) in Assam has fallen sharply from 200,000 to 25,000 over the past five years, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced Wednesday.

Speaking on the longstanding citizenship verification issue that has affected the community for years, Sarma indicated the problem could be "nearly resolved by next year" if current trends continue.

The significant decline comes as most Bengali Hindus are now successfully challenging their cases in court by establishing their refugee status through 1971 refugee camp certificates, according to the Chief Minister.

"From what I have seen in the tribunals, I haven't come across any Bengali Hindu being declared a foreigner recently," Sarma stated. "Earlier the situation was different but now the courts have clearly stated: Anyone who came before 1971 is 100% Indian."

The D-voter classification has been a source of uncertainty for thousands of families in Assam, potentially affecting their voting rights and citizenship status. The category was created to identify individuals whose citizenship was considered questionable during electoral roll preparations.