In a majority ruling of 4:1, a Supreme Court Constitution Bench affirmed on Thursday that Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which allows Bangladeshi immigrants living in Assam to obtain Indian citizenship, is a law that follows the Preambular value of fraternity. Justice Surya Kant, the author of the lead decision for the five-judge Bench, noted that the fraternal concept was unable to be used selectively to one group of Assamese citizens while another group was labeled "illegal immigrants."