BJP unhappy over small numbers left out of NRC list; TMC cries Bengalis victimised; excluded can move Tribunals within 120 days
Even as over 19 lakh applicants to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam stare at an uncertain future as they failed to make it to the final list issued on Saturday, politics heated up in the State with all major parties rejecting the NRC for their own separate reasons.
Given the objections over the exclusion or inclusion in the list, it may be a long haul for the finalisation of the NRC with affected people holding the right to appeal with the foreigners’ tribunals (FT) within 120 days, and move the High Court or the Supreme Court, thereafter.
The BJP, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the All Assam Students Union (AASU) expressed unhappiness over the small exclusion size and announced their intent to move the SC for reverification of citizenship in the border districts and an appeal against the final list, published as per the Supreme Court’s deadline of August 31.
The Assam BJP said they do not trust the updated NRC specifically prepared for Assam, and appealed to the Central and the State Governments to prepare a nationwide NRC.
The Congress blamed the BJP for being unable to bring a free and fair NRC, while the TMC accused the ruling party of driving out Bengalis.
Of the total of 3,30,27,661 people who had applied to be included in the NRC, 3,11,21,004 found their names in the list with 19,06,657 being left out. The Assam Government has ruled out detention of people who do not figure in the list “in any circumstances” till the time the FTs declare them foreigners.
And Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary promised that the Government will provide legal support to the Indian citizens not finding place in the NRC list.
“One thing is sure that many genuine Indians were left out of the NRC. However, they don’t need to panic and worry. They can appeal in the FTs,” Patowary said.
The number of Assamese who could not find their names in the NRC has, however, come down to a little over 19 lakh from the first draft of the NRC which had deleted names of 41 lakh people residing in the State. “We have increased the number of FTs to 300 from 100 earlier. The additional FTs will start functioning from Monday. So people can result approach the FTs,” said Patowary, who is also the spokesperson of the Assam Government.
The final list was published at 10 am and the hard copies of the Supplementary List of Inclusions are available for public viewing at the NRC Seva Kendras (NSK), offices of the deputy commissioner and offices of the Circle Officer during office hours, a statement by the NRC authority said.
Amid prohibitory orders in place, hundreds of people began thronging these offices soon after the list was released, with some returning home happy and some disappointed.
Senior BJP leader and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led the voices against the NRC list from the ruling camp. “Names of many Indian citizens who migrated from Bangladesh as refugees prior to 1971 have not been included in the NRC because authorities refused to accept refugee certificates . Many names got included because of manipulation of legacy data as alleged by many,” he said.
The BJP also alleged that exclusion was less from the border areas where maximum illegal migration allegedly took place over the decades while many genuine citizens in the heart of the state were not figuring in the NRC list.
Addressing a Press conference, BJP Assam President Ranjeet Kumar Dass said the final NRC contains very small figure of exclusions compared to officially stated figures earlier. “We do not trust this NRC... We are very unhappy...We appeal to the central and the state governments to prepare a national level NRC,” he added.
AGP, a member of the ruling alliance in Assam, articulated its dissatisfaction saying there is scope for its review in the Supreme Court, which supervised the updation process. The number of exclusions appear to be ridiculously small, AGP president and state Agriculture Minister Atul Bora said.
The NRC, which validates the Indian citizens of Assam, has been updated on the basis of Assam Accord’s clause of detecting, deleting and deporting foreigners but very few suspected illegal immigrants have been left out, he said.
The AASU, which is a signatory to the Assam Accord, also expressed its unhappiness saying NRC is an “incomplete document”.
For its part, senior Congress leader and former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi accused the ruling BJP of failing to ensure a free and fair NRC even with the entire administrative machinery at its disposal.
The Trinamool Congres hit out at the Modi-government for allegedly trying to drive out Bengalis from Assam in the name of NRC and said it will have to take the responsibility of the 19 lakh applicants who failed to make it to the final list.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed concern over 19.07 lakh people being left out of the final NRC list and said “People have been rendered homeless in their own country”, senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said.