AS-LD NRC

NRC:BJP questions revision process,Cong promises free legal
aid to left out genuine citizens
(Eds: combining related stories)
Guwahati, Aug 26 (PTI) With days left for publication of
the final NRC on August 31,the ruling BJP in Assam on Monday
attacked state coordinator Prateek Hajela, claiming he was
undertaking the updation exercise in consultation with "just
2-3 organisations" which could lead to inclusion of foreigners
in the list.
The opposition Congress, on its part, announced that it
will provide free legal aid to genuine Indian citizens, whose
names do not figure in the final National Register of
Citizens.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora
told reporters that his party will ensure that no injustice is
done to the genuine Indian citizens.
The final NRC list, which will identify bona fide
citizens of Assam, is set to be published on August 31. The
exercise of updating the NRC, unique to Assam, is being
conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
Addressing a press meet here, BJP state president
Ranjit Dass said people have told his party members that their
names had appeared in the first list, published in 2017, but
was removed from the "final draft" in July last year.
"NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela had been carrying out the
revision work based on his own opinion and those of two to
three organisations, after the Supreme Court asked Chief
Minister Sarbananda Sonowal not to interfere in the process,"
Dass claimed.
The state BJP chief, however, did not name the
organizations he was referring to.
In such a situation, it is difficult for Assam to come
up with an error-free register, he said.
"We have received feedback. Many have told us their
names appeared in the first NRC list, but went missing from
the final draft. These people had to appear several times in
different offices for re-verification of their documents.
"Also, there are reports that people who have been
declared 'foreigners' were being engaged for the NRC
citizenship verification work," he explained.
Dass claimed that names of descendants of freedom
fighters and Assam agitation martyrs were excluded during the
verification process.
"It seems we will get an NRC which will include the
names of illegal foreigners and exclude genuine Indian
citizens," the state BJP chief said.
Appreciating the Centre's decision to extend the
deadline to 120 from 60 days for filing appeals in the
Foreigners Tribunals, the BJP leader said around 40 lakh
workers of saffron party have been directed to assist the ones
approaching the district legal cells.
"We will not allow the exclusion of any genuine Indian
citizen, be it Hindu, Muslim, Christian or of any other
religion, from the NRC. The 1200-crore exercise will not be of
any worth if even one genuine citizen's name gets excluded
from the register," he asserted.
Claiming that the saffron party was not satisfied with
the revision process, Dass urged the Centre and the state
government to take action against "doubtful" citizens only
after a proper investigation.
Assam is the only state to have a National Register of
Citizens (NRC). The NRC was first prepared in 1951 under the
purview of the Census Act, 1948.
In July last year, 40,07,707 people out of a total
3,29,91,384 applicants were excluded from the final draft of
the NRC. An additional 1,02,462 persons were included in the
list of excluded persons in June, taking the total ineligible
persons to 41,10,169.
State Congress president also held a press meet and
asserted "The Congress legal cell will provide help free of
cost to those genuine Indian citizens whose names are missing
from the NRC list to ensure that no injustice is done to
them".
It was the Congress that had begun the NRC process in
the state to ensure that all genuine Indian citizens are
provided protection and illegal foreigners were detected and
did not find a place in the National Register of Citizens,
Bora, a Rajya Sabha member, said.
Bora welcomed Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's
statement that anybody creating law and order problem in the
state would be arrested, but added "he should begin with his
own party MLA Shiladitya Dev, who has been making provocative
statements related to NRC for long".
"If the Chief Minister is serious about maintaining
peace and harmony in the state, he should ensure that the MLA
from Hojai is arrested as he been making communal statements
continuously and creating fear in the minds of people", the
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee chief asserted.
He further alleged that the BJP government at the centre
and the state have not been "sincere about protecting the
interests of the genuine Indian citizens leading to a fear
psychosis in their minds".
Bora appealed to the people of the state to maintain
peace and calm as the Congress will ensure that no genuine
citizens of the country were left out of the NRC. PTI DG ESB
RMS
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from a PTI feed.)