Delegation of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee raises issues of minority harassments with Prateek Hajela

NRC CLAIM S & OBJECTIONS

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A delegation of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) led by leader of opposition Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia, met the State Coordinator, NRC Prateek Hajela on Friday and submitted a memorandum regarding the harassment faced by religious and linguistic minorities during the NRC claims and objection process.

The APCC requested Hajela that, the hearing venues be fixed within the local area of the claimants and the persons facing objections; those objections which lack detailed particulars of the Objectors be rejected; details be furnished about the Objectors in the notices; those objections wherein the Objectors shun the hearings be decided ex-parte and be rejected.

In the memorandum, APCC stated, “it was reported in the print as well as electronic media that around 1300 Objections were filed up to December 30, 2018. But the number rose up to more than 2.5 lakh on the last date on December 31, 2018. We welcome the genuine Objections which have been filed against any ineligible person by following due process of law. However, it has come to our knowledge that large numbers of Objections have been filed in a cyclostyled manner, in total violation of law. Such objections have been evidently filed only with a view to harass genuine Indian citizens and derail the entire process. It may be mentioned that the Objectors are neither attending the hearings, nor disclosing their identities.”

They further said, “Not a single genuine Indian citizen shall be left out from the final NRC and, on the other hand, not a single person who is not a citizen of India shall be included in the final NRC. That, as per the Assam Accord, any person who came to India on or before March 24, 1971 shall be deemed as an Indian citizen and hence, shall be included in the NRC. Whereas, any person who came to India on or after March 25, 1971 shall be deemed as a foreigner and hence, left out of the NRC. The genuine Indian citizens shall not be harassed by way of entertaining purported/cyclostyled objections and being called for hearing at faraway places or otherwise in total violation of law and rules.”

The APCC claimed that the people are being called to faraway places for hearing of claims and objections, causing mental, physical and financial harassment. They stated that there are credible reports about certain forces with vested interests filing bulk complaints simply to harass innocent people merely on the basis of religious and linguistic identity. “Therefore, numerous people will suffer protracted harassment if those objections are entertained wherein the Objectors shun the hearings.”

Among the delegation team, Ajanta Neog, Abdul Khalek, Sherman Ali Ahmed, among others MLAs and senior party leaders were present.

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