SC notice to Centre, ECI on plea for NRC updation in Tripura

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the central government, Census Commissioner and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on a plea seeking to update National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Tripura.

The petition, filed by the Tripura People's Front, sought a direction from the apex court for updation of NRC in the state and pleaded for an immediate deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migrants from the state.

It also sought that the Tripura-Bangladesh border should be properly fenced. An influx of immigration from Bangladesh is worse in Tripura than in Assam, the petition claimed.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and also comprising of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph, was hearing the petition.

On October 5, the Centre denied reports of implementation of the NRC in the state and termed the reports "absolutely incorrect and mischievous". The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had said, "News reports have appeared to the effect that a delegation of Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), after a meeting with Union Home Minister (Rajnath Singh), has claimed that NRC is likely to be implemented in Tripura. These reports are absolutely incorrect and mischievous".

The MHA clarified, "No assurance of any kind was given by Union Home Minister regarding the implementation of NRC in the State of Tripura. It is categorically asserted that no decision has been taken on the issue of 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.