SC posts pleas seeking NRC updation in Tripura for March 18

The Supreme Court on Monday posted for March 18 next year hearing on pleas seeking to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Tripura.

The petitions were filed by the Tripura People's Front and erstwhile Tripura royal Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman and pleaded for the immediate deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migrants from the state.

A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant said: "List these matters on March 18, 2020, a non-miscellaneous day, for hearing."

The petitioners have sought the court's direction for proper fencing on Tripura-Bangladesh border. An influx of immigration from Bangladesh is worse in Tripura than in Assam, the petitions claimed.

The petitioners have asked the apex court to direct the authorities to update the NRC with respect to Tripura in terms of Rules 3 and 4 of The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 by taking July 19, 1948, as the cut-off date as provided in Article 6 of the Constitution.

"The exercise in Assam was necessitated due to the persistent illegal influx problem that has plagued the state for over three decades now. The petitioners respectfully submit that Tripura is worse placed. Uncontrolled influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh to Tripura has caused huge demographic changes in Tripura... Tripura was a predominantly tribal State, but now it has become a non-tribal State... Indigenous people who were once the majority have now become a minority in their own land," say the pleas.

In October, the Centre denied reports of the implementation of NRC in the state and termed the reports "absolutely incorrect and mischievous".

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