Assam: APW demands government not to issue ‘rejection slips’ to names excluded from supplementary NRC

In a press conference held today on November 10, Assam Public Works (APW) chairman Abhijeet Sarma termed the government’s step of producing ‘rejection slips’ to names excluded from the NRC list published on August 31, 2019, as unrecognized under the law.

Highlighting an order by former CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman with regards to the inclusion of names in the NRC list, APW chairman Abhijeet Sarma reiterates, “No. 16. Insofar as the prayer of the learned State Coordinator with regard to maintenance of security of the NRC data is concerned, we direct that an appropriate regime be enacted on lines similar to the security regime provided for AADHAR data. Only thereafter, the list of inclusions and exclusions shall be made available to the State Government, Central Government and Registrar General of India. We further direct that only hard copies of the SUPPLEMENTARY LIST of inclusions be published at the NRC SevaCenters, Circle Offices and Offices of the District Magistrates of the State. We also direct that the list of exclusions to be published on 31st August 2019 shall be published only online and shall be family-wise.”

"Therefore, the said directive makes it clear that since the list of National Register of Citizens Supplementary (Supplementary), published on August 31, 2019, is yet to be recognized as the final Register of Citizens with a seal stamp, therefore, on the basis of the supplementary NRC published on August 31, 2019, the names of those whose names have been excluded from the said list on the basis of the supplementary NRC list cannot be served ‘rejection slips’, said Abhijeet Sarma.

Sarma has further asked the government to file an affidavit at the Supreme Court clarifying its stand on the matter.

Enumerating two cases still ongoing in the Supreme Court with regards to the finalisation of the base year for a person’s identification as an Indian citizen, Abhijeet Sarma mentions, “ No. 18. We make it clear that subject to orders as may be passed by the Constitution Bench in Writ Petition (C) No. 562 of 2012 and Writ Petition (C) No. 311 of 2015, National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be updated. That is, based on the judgment of the court on the two cases pending before the Constitution Bench, this supplementary NRC future will be decided. We sincerely wish that the two cases pending before the Constitution Bench should be disposed of and request the Government of Assam to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court in support of making 1951 the base year of identification of citizenship at par with the entire country”.