Congress opposes fresh NRC update in Assam; AGP to stage dharna in Delhi on December 13

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Vehemently opposing the Centre’s move to conduct a fresh NRC update exercise in Assam, the Congress has accused the ruling BJP to rake up the NRC issue again and again only to divert the people’s attention from the burning issues.

Ripun Bora, president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) while addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan here on Sunday, said the NRC update exercise was carried after several years of discussions. He said even though there could be a scope for rectification of the present updated NRC, the Congress will never allow rejection of the existing citizenship document.

“The present NRC has been prepared on the basis of modalities chalked out after having in-depth deliberations with different organizations, individuals and political parties. The modalities were accepted by the Registrar General of India and Union Home Ministry. The NRC update exercise was a Supreme Court monitored exercise. Now, how could the Centre and State Government reject such NRC?,” Bora said.

Exposing double standard of the ruling BJP on the NRC issue, Bora said the Union Ministry of External Affairs has termed the final NRC as a scientific and transparent exercise under the supervision of the Supreme Court. He said even the Home Minister Amit Shah initially appreciated the NRC exercise.

“Now the same the BJP government is going to conduct a fresh NRC in Assam. It is nothing but a political game plan of the BJP,” Bora said. On the issue of cut off year for the NRC, Bora said the Centre had set March 24, 1971 as the cut off date to detect and deport illegal foreigners from Assam by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955. “Now how could the Centre change the cut off year? The ruling BJP in its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court earlier favoured 1971 as the cut off year,” he said.

The APCC president has also strongly opposed the Citizenship (Amendment), Bill. The Congress has demanded immediate start of the appeal exercise in Foreigners’ Tribunals for 19.6 lakh people whose names did not figure in the final NRC and speedy trial of ‘D’ voters cases. The APCC leaders will stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on December 13 in protest against fresh NRC, CAB and the government’s failures to solve Assam’s real and burning issues.

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