NRC: Ground reality is different, claims Congress

Congress leader Ripun Bora on Monday, while welcoming Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's statement in connection with National Register of Citizens (NRC) list, said he had apprehensions in this regard.

The NRC is a list of the registered citizens of the north-Indian state of Assam and those not part of it will be automatically declared foreigners.

There are around 300 foreigners' tribunals in Assam.

The Union Home Minister, in a series of tweets on Sunday, stated that, "The NRC is being updated in Assam in accordance with the Assam Accord signed on 15 August, 1985. The entire process is being carried out as per the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, who is constantly monitoring the process."

While stating that the NRC was being carried out in a totally impartial and transparent manner, Rajnath said that "adequate opportunity of being heard is given to all persons."

He also mentioned that the NRC, which is slated to be published on July 30, is only a draft, after the publication of which, adequate opportunity for claims and objections will be available. The final NRC will only be published after all claims and objections are duly heard and examined.

While speaking to ANI, Bora welcomed Singh's statements and said that they were as per the constitution, however, they had very serious apprehensions because the ground reality in Assam was very different.

"In Assam, the BJP government has misused the entire NRC process for their political interests, for polarization politics because we have seen that although Rajnath Singh has said that no Indian's name will be left out, no one will be harassed, but lakhs and lakhs of genuine Indian citizens' names are going to be left out as because of flimsy reasons they have rejected their documents," Bora said.

"We appeal to Rajnath Singh to interfere in this issue and give justice to the people so that no Indian citizens' name is left out," Bora added.

The part draft of the NRC was published on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1, wherein the names of 1.9 crore of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated.

On July 30, the fate of all 3.29 crore applicants will be decided.

The massive exercise, aimed at identifying the illegal immigrants in Assam bordering Bangladesh, is being carried out following a decision in 2005 after a series of meetings involving the central and state governments and the influential All Assam Students' Union (AASU).