Kolkata Imam asks Muslims to keep citizenship documents in order

The Imam of a prominent city mosque has asked people of the community to ensure that documents proving their citizenship and other legal records were in order and up to date.

The appeal by the Imam of Nakhoda mosque Maulana Shafique Qasmi was made at the congregation after the Friday prayers.

It comes in the wake of reports that names of 40 lakh people were left out of the complete National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and statements of BJP leaders that NRC should also be undertaken in West Bengal in future.

The Imam said on Saturday that he has already asked the people after Friday prayers to keep the documents ready with them and get necessary updates if required.

"Everyone should have the papers like voter identity card, aadhar card, land records, property inheritance papers etc - in short every single document - in order so that he can produce the same whenever required," the cleric said.

Qasmi said other Imams in mosques outside Kolkata may also do the same after prayers.

The message can also be communicated by leading members of the community through the social network, he said.

"Many who are not educated enough and don't know whether their papers are in order or not due to glitches like misspellings, need to be informed by community leaders that they should update their records soon," he said.

Imam-e-edain Qari Fazlur Rahman had during the Eid prayers on Red Road in the city last week asked those who had assembled to ensure all necessary updates were made for revision of electoral rolls between September 1 and October 31.

While the BJP has said that NRC should be implemented in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed not to allow the exercise in the state.