Besides quashing the controversial notification, the Supreme Court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the Centre to be paid to the petitioners.

In Guwahati, reacting to the verdict, petitioner Sonowal said: “The Foreigners (Tribunals for Assam) Order was an an attempt by the Congress to fool the people of the country after the Supreme Court had so convincingly struck down the IMDT Act.”

The BJP too hailed the SC order. “The Supreme Court has once again reminded the Congress that it is not easy to protect Bangladeshi infiltrators. They (Congress) first tried it with the IMDT Act, and when that was struck down, the party shamelessly introduced the Order which met the same fate today,” said Dhurba Prasad Baishya, Assam BJP vice-president.

The Congress declined comment on the order. In fact, the Foreigners (Tribunals for Assam) Order was introduced after a section of Muslims launched the Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF) last year — Badruddin Ajmal became its head — and mounted pressure on the UPA in the run-up to the Assam Assembly polls. The AUDF’s emergence threatened the Congress which almost lost the polls, its strength dropping from 75 seats to 53. Had it not been for an alliance with the Bodo People’s Progressive Front (BPPF), the Congress would have lost Assam.