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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the government hardened their position on the National Register of Citizens (CNR) on Tuesday, ruling party leader Amit Shah calling the four million people in Assam excluded from the final draft "infiltrated" and claiming credit for an exercise that, he said, the opposition Congress had been reluctant to perform while he was in power. He also asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi to take a clear stand on the issue of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Shah's comments came on the day the Attorney General KK Venugopal told the Supreme Court that the government wanted to collect and maintain a biometric registry of all those excluded because of concerns about their migration to the country. other States.
The court stated that the draft list can not serve as a basis for an action against persons who are not there. "What has been published is only an NRC project and being a project, it can not be a basis for any authority," Judge Ranjan Gogoi said.
Shah also pointed out that the list was a project and that people who were not there would have the opportunity to appeal. The BJP leader spoke in Parliament and at a press conference at the BJP headquarters after his speech was disrupted.
Shah said that the CNR was "the soul of the Assam Accord", a pact signed in 1985 by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and activist organizations for Identification and deportation of illegal immigrants from states.
Shah claimed that the agreement had remained unenforced because Congress did not have the guts to enforce it. "We have courage and we do it," he said
. The registry aims to distinguish citizens from the state of illegal immigrants, mainly from Bangladesh. It was first prepared for Assam in 1951, and is updated at the insistence of the Supreme Court, although this is a longstanding demand from most political organizations in the country. State.
In his speech in the Rajya Sabha, Shah urged a strong reaction from the opposition to his remarks – "Who are you trying to save?" Illegal Bangladeshi immigrants "
Shah's remarks provoked noisy protests from opposition members led by those in Congress and the Trinamool Congress. The House was first adjourned by President M Venkaiah Naidu for about 10 minutes during the debate and then for the day.
At the press conference, Shah stated that the Assam agreement was the result of a Bangladeshi deported campaign. "The BJP has never changed its position on the CNR Congress has a position on this issue when it is in power, and another when it is in opposition." Rahul Gandhi, his allies and leaders as Mamata Banerjee (head of the Trinamool Congress) should clarify their position on the issue of infiltration of Bangladesh. "
Shah dismissed as misplaced fears that the definitive register would lead to a civil war situation. Banerjee – who commented on the civil war – was thinking about his vote bank, Shah said, adding that his party made national security the top priority. Shah also said that the NRC was, until now, limited to Assam and that any decision to extend it to other states would be taken after a thoughtful discussion after the meeting. completion of the current process.
The BJP president also made a distinction between "refugees and infiltrators" and suggested that the CNR was intended to protect the rights of citizens living in Assam who see the infiltrators as taking away the jobs and resources intended for them .
Congress retorted that the BJP resorted to division and dominance and asserted that there was a contradiction in the positions of Shah and Interior Minister Rajnath Singh on the issue NRC. "On the one hand, they are asking for credit for the NRC and on the other, they are bringing in the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Both are contrary to each other. Amit Shah will answer that, "said Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala.
In Assam, the publication of the list on Monday sparked mixed reactions. Experts in sociology felt that there was still a long way to go before the problem of illegal immigrants was "really solved" and that the latest citizens register – made public in December 2018 – could have an impact. significant policy.
"We can not, I think, completely suppress illegal immigrants," said Nani Gopal Mahanta, head of the political science department of Gauhati University, specialist in immigration-related policies.
One of the main concerns, according to Mahanta, is the impact that the register will have on the vote for the 2019 general elections.
The Electoral Commission (EC), which is in the process of Establish the lists for the elections of Lok Sabha next year, announced Tuesday that she would ensure that all voters with documents of good faith are included, even if their names do not appear in the NRC project.
The Chief Electoral Officer of Assam has been tasked to work in coordination with the agencies carrying out the NRC update, Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said on Tuesday.
"Coincidentally, our timelines matched.We informed the CEO of Assam that all individual cases should be handled and in case of dispute; If the names are missing from NRC but that they appear on the voters list, the election chairman will take the final call based on evidence to support, "said the CEC.
He said:" Only those who do not appear on the NRC's final list and who are not Indian citizens will not be able to vote. "
Rajya Sabha's opposition leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad of Congress, said: The burden of proving one's identity should not be only individual, but should also be shared by the government.
"No one should be harassed, legal assistance should be granted, this should not be used for a voting policy, but to be considered a humanitarian issue, "said Azad Beginning the discussion of the NRC
Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party asked where would the Indians go if their names were removed from the list.
All India's Vijila Sathyananth of Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam described as "great agony" the fact that four million people had lost their identity.
Prasanna Acharya of Biju Janata Dal said that no one should engage in politics on this issue. should be rectified. "The question of national security should also be addressed … It is a very sensitive issue concerning not only Assam but the entire country." YS Chowdary of Telugu Desam Party suggested that the matter be referred to a parliamentary panel. He asked, "Where will you send these four million people?"
First published: Jul 31, 2018 23:42 IST
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