CM clears the air on NRC update

I am not protector of illegal Bangladeshis: Gogoi

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, April 22: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday made it clear that he is not the protector of illegal Bangladeshis and has initiated update of the tiol Register of Citizens (NRC) to solve the problem of illegal tiols in the State.

Gogoi was reacting to the allegations made by the AASU and the AGP that he is trying to give citizenship status to Bangladeshi immigrants for the sake of votes and this is the reason why he has been soft on the cross border influx issue. “If I am in favour of illegal Bangladeshis, I would not have given nod to start the NRC update in the State. I am not the protector of illegal Bangladeshis,” Gogoi said.

When asked about AIUDF chief Badaruddin Ajmal’s decision to move the Supreme Court on the alleged irregularities in the NRC update process and Ajmal’s wish to become the Chief Minister of the State, Gogoi said, “I will try to make the people of the State understand about the NRC update process. If the people don’t want to understand, what can I do? If the people want to see Ajmal as the Chief Minister of the State, they can go ahead. But I will strongly oppose any such development.”

The Chief Minister further said, “The main problem is that Bangladesh is not accepting their citizens who are found illegally living in Assam. The Central government must take up this issue with Dhaka. I can’t do anything in this regard.”

Meanwhile, the AIUDF, in its statement, said its president Badaruddin Ajmal is not against the NRC update but he has objected to the alleged violation of SC guidelines with regard to the update process.

The AIUDF stated that the government has so far failed to provide the 1951 NRC and the 1951-1971 electoral rolls in the NRC sewa kendras set up across the State despite earlier assurances. “With the faulty update process, there are chances that many people’s mes are likely to be dropped from being enlisted in the NRC,” AIUDF general secretary Hafiz Rashid Kasimi said.

Meanwhile, a team of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Assam branch will soon meet the Chief Justice of India, the Chief Election Commissioner and Home Ministry officials on the NRC update issue.