Who is lying on NRC, Shah or Rajnath, asks Congress

As BJP President Amit Shah said the Congress did not have the courage to implement NRC in Assam, while this government had the courage to do it, the Congress on Tuesday condemned it and asked who is lying, whether it is Shah or Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who ascribed the process to the supervision of Supreme Court.

Slamming Shah for his statement in the Rajya Sabha, accusing the opposition of allegedly trying to protect the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the party said they believe in spreading malice and creating divisions in society. It also urged the government not to play politics over the "sensitive issue".

"Amit Shah and company are the virulent inheritors of the British East India Company. Divide and rule, spread venomous hate and decimate India's brotherhood to garner votes is their principle agenda," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

"On one hand, Amit Shah and Co. seek fake credit for National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and on the other hand, the Narendra Modi government brings in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, both of which are contrarian in spirit of one another. Will Amit Shah answer that?" he asked.

The leader said Rajnath Singh ascribes the NRC process to supervision of Supreme Court, while Amit Shah falsifies the statement of his Home Minister made in Parliament by seeking credit for implementing the NRC.

"Who is lying - Rajnath Singh or Sh Amit Shah," asked Surjewala.

"NRC was aimed at reflecting the aspirations of Assamese people and not as a tool to divide the society, which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is making it out to be. History will never pardon the ilk of Modi-Shah for distorting the entire process for opportunistic political gains," he added.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the opposition has been demanding a structured debate or discussion on the developments after the release of the draft list of the NRC.

"It was important for the opposition to register its concern with regard to disenfranchisement of our own citizen and India's own citizens who have been from other states or from Assam as indigenous people should be rendered refugees in our country," said Sharma.

"This is also the humanitarian aspect. BJP leadership is deliberately giving it a mischievous twist. What has been said by them, we reject it in entirety. We are one country. The people from various states go and live in other states of the country either for work, business or marriage. They can't be termed as non-citizens. That is one of the concerns," he added.

The leader said a large numbers of those who have been affected are Indian citizens. "It is the duty of the government to see that there is justice and people are not denied what is rightfully their claim as citizens of the country."

"The opposition leaders, beginning from Ghulam Nabi Azadji, raised their concerns in Rajya Sabha and wanted a government response on the issue.

"No leader in the opposition had levelled any allegation or said anything to provoke the government. Today's disruption was entirely because of the provocative statement which was unwarranted and made by BJP leaders. Their statement was in direct conflict with what the Home Minister's.

"It is now for the Home Minister to clarify whether he stands by the statement that he made yesterday (Monday) in the Lok Sabha or he agrees with the statement that has been made in the Rajya Sabha by BJP chief Amit Shah. That truth must come out," said Sharma.

--IANS

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