New Delhi: Exuding confidence in the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that such an exercise would be carried out in the entire nation in the next two-three years.
"In the near future, we can see a nationwide NRC exercise taking place in two-three years' time. We want Assam to be included in that exercise as well so that there is a better verification process," Sarma told in an interview to CNN-News18.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari also renewed his demand for a similar exercise in the national capital, saying that he will meet the Union Home Minister soon to press for it. The situation in Delhi is "dangerous" due to the presence of a "large number" of illegal immigrants including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas who have been found involved in "criminal activities", he said.
Tiwari, who had demanded NRC exercise to identify and evict illegal immigrants from Delhi,wrote to the then Home Minister Rajnath Singh in August and November last year on the issue . "This is a very precarious situation which needs urgent attention. I will soon meet Home Minister Amit Shah to urge him for conducting NRC exercise in the national capital," Tiwari said.
A BJP MLA in Telangana also raised the demand for a similar exercise in the state. Raja Singh, the lone BJP MLA in Telangana, said NRC should be implemented from September 17, the day of merger of erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad with the Indian Union in 1948. "I request @HMOIndia again #NRC should be implemented in Telangana as well," he tweeted.
In Meghalaya, the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) too demanded NRC-like exercise in the state. "There is a need for the state government to conduct an NRC-like exercise, which will ensure the continuous survival of the indigenous communities of the state," KSU president L Marngar said.
The updated final NRC, which validates bonafide Indian citizens of Assam, was released on Saturday, with the authority conducting the exercise shutting out the citizenship claims of over 19 lakh applicants who now face an uncertain future.
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.
Hundreds of people began thronging these offices soon after the list was released, with some returning home happy and some disappointed. Surprisingly enough, parties across the political divide called the final NRC faulty, with some saying they would appeal against it in the Supreme Court.
Sarma, who is also the convener of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the NDA's version in the northeast, deplored that many people who came to India as refugees before 1971 were not included in the final citizenship roll.
He demanded that the Supreme Court allow reverification of at least 20 per cent of samples included in the list in districts bordering Bangladesh and 10 per cent in the rest of Assam. "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 tweeted.
Comments
0 comment