STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The state BJP has defended its demand for a comprehensive revision of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, stating that an error-free NRC free of illegal foreigners and an accurate voters' list are essential to protect the identity, political rights and constitutional safeguards of the Assamese people.
In a statement, state BJP spokesperson Manas Sarania criticised the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) over its recent remarks on the NRC and SIR, alleging that the Congress was viewing issues concerning national and regional interests through the prism of vote-bank politics.
Sarania said the demand for an electoral roll free of illegal foreigners was not merely a BJP demand but a long-standing concern of indigenous communities, various organisations and the people of Assam. He recalled that the demand was among the key issues behind the six-year-long Assam Movement, during which 860 people sacrificed their lives.
Reiterating the BJP's position on the NRC, Sarania said the party had raised concerns over discrepancies in the final NRC published on August 31, 2019, on the very day of its publication. He maintained that the existing NRC could not be accepted without proper scrutiny and revision.
Referring to earlier estimates of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, Sarania cited statements by former Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia in 1992, then Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta in 1997 and former Union Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal in 2004, who had reportedly placed the figures at 30 lakh, 40 lakh and 50 lakh respectively.
He questioned the discrepancy between these figures and the nearly 19 lakh people excluded from the final NRC, claiming that around 12 lakh of those excluded were indigenous people.
Citing findings mentioned in an application filed by former NRC State Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma before the Supreme Court, Sarania alleged that verification in Kamrup's Samaria Revenue Circle had detected discrepancies involving 7,446 out of 30,791 individuals, or 24.18 per cent.
He also raised allegations of irregularities in the NRC updation process under former coordinator Prateek Hajela.
Sarania said the BJP wanted a legally verified NRC and accurate electoral rolls through SIR, ensuring that genuine Indian citizens were not deprived of their rights and illegal foreigners did not secure citizenship or voting rights.