Assam Govt Demands Centre to 'Reject' Published NRC; Wants Same Cutoff Date as Rest of India

Guwahati, November 20, 2019:

Senior Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that the Government is yet to "accept" the NRC as it includes the names of many illegals, while, at the same time, many indigen

Biswa Sarma said that the current Assam NRC is "confusing", and thus, there will be a new NRC after the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to grant citizenship to "persecuted minorities" from neighboring countries. "There should be one cutoff in the entire country, whether it be 1951, or 1971 -- that is something that we have been requesting the Union Home Minister", Biswa Sarma said.

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Biswa Sarma further added that the Assam State Government has informed the Union Government to set the same cut off date for the entire country, including Assam. Biswa Sarma also said that the Assam Government has appealed to the Centre to reject the NRC. "The Government will decide whether the Government or the Supreme Court will reject the NRC, since it was a Central government initiative", Biswa Sarma.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Shah has once again reiterated his intention to implement an NRC on a nation-wide basis.

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Addressing the Speaker, the home minister adds that the government will provide asylum to all people, irrespective of religion. “The exercise of NRC will be carried out in the entire country,” he said.

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In regards to the people left out of the final NRC draft on August 31, Shah said, “People whose names are not in the NRC have the right to approach the tribunal…Assam govt is also ready to foot the expenses of people who cant afford a legal counsel.”

Moreover, the Union Home Minister has stated that the entire country will have the same cutoff date to determine who is a legal Indian, and who is not.

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