India is in very close touch with Bangladesh on NRC issue: MEA

India today said it was in touch with Bangladesh on the issue of the draft citizens' list rolled out in Assam with an aim to detect illegal immigrants in the state.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India has repeatedly assured the Bangladesh government that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a draft list prepared under the orders of the Supreme Court and the process to identify the citizens is still underway.

"We have been in very close touch with the government of Bangladesh both prior to and following the issuance of draft NRC," Kumar told reporters.

He said the Bangladesh government has taken the view that the ongoing process is an internal matter of India.

"We do not apprehend any impact on bilateral ties with Bangladesh which remains excellent," Kumar said.

The draft NRC, released last week, excluded over 40 lakh people in Assam. The NRC is an outcome of nearly a six-year-long agitation All Assam Students Union, demanding deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migrants from the state.