NRC: SC directs stakeholders to file replies on 5 documents excluded in Hajela's report

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked all stakeholders to file their respective statements regarding the five documents which were earlier excluded in the report submitted by National Register of Citizens (NRC) coordinator Prateek Hajela.

The five documents are - Names in NRC, 1951; Names in Electoral Roll up to March 24, 1971; Citizenship Certificate and Refugee Registration Certificate; Certified copies of pre-1971 Electoral Roll, particularly, those issued from the State of Tripura and Ration Card.

The top court has asked Hajela to explain and apprise (which he had excluded in his earlier) to all the stakeholders including Assam and Union of India within two days as to why he had excluded these five documents in the case.

A division bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman has fixed the matter for further hearing on November 1.

The stakeholders will have to submit their response on Hajela's suggestions before October 30.

The court further said that on October 26, Hajela will make a power point presentation before all the stakeholders regarding the difficulties and present situation of the NRC case.

On October 8, the court had issued notices to the central government, Census Commissioner and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on a plea to update the NRC in Tripura.

NRC is a register containing names of Indian citizens, which was prepared for the only time in 1951 and is being updated for only Assam to weed out the illegal immigrants.