People being made refugees in their own country, says Mamata Banerjee
Our Correspondent / NEW DELHI
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today strongly defended the government over the non-inclusion of over 40 lakh names in the the second and final draft list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam which was published earlier today with 2.90 crore out of the total 3.29 crore citizens.
Speaking on the floor of the Lok Sabha, Singh said that the whole process was carried out under the supervision of the Supreme Court and that the Centre has no role to play in it. Singh said this while referring to the Congress and TMC’s allegations that the names of around 40 lakh people were not included in the list “intentionally” by the government. Singh further said that this is not the final list and citizens can file their claims and objections, starting August 30.
The issue was also raised in the Rajya Sabha with the Trinamool Congress demanding a discussion. The House was adjourned twice due to continuous uproar by the opposition MPs. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal has congratulated the people of the state and urged them to help the government in maintaining the law and order situation.
People being made refugees in their own country, says Mamata
Reacting over drat NRC, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said people were being made refugees in their own country. “People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. Its a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also,” the TMC supremo said at a press conference. Banerjee also asked if the Centre had a rehabilitation plan for the 40 lakh people whose names were not included in the NRC final draft.
“Where will the 40 lakh people whose names have been deleted go? Does Centre have any rehabilitation program for them? Ultimately it is Bengal which will suffer. Its just vote politics by BJP. Request Home Minister to bring an amendment,” she said.
What is Assam’s NRC list ?
The NRC is a list of Assam’s citizens and it is being updated following a direction of the Supreme Court. The document is touted to be a proof of Assamese identity. The NRC will include the names of all Indian citizens who have been residing in Assam before March 25, 1971. The application process for the NRC started in May 2015 and a total of 6.5 crore documents were received from 68.27 lakh families across the state.
The process of publishing the final draft was carried out in cooperation with the Registrar General of India, along with the central and the state government employees.