Didi’s ‘ill-informed’ remarks irk Assam parties and groups
GUWAHATI: Statements made by Mamata Banerjee are unfortunate and not rooted in truth. We urge her to refrain from making such illinformed remarks which are politically motivated LURIN JYOTI GOGOI, general secretary, All Assam Students Union
Updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is being done under supervision of the Supreme Court in a bid to identity genuine citizens and weed out illegal immigrants. But soon after the complete draft was released Monday, with names of over 40 lakh applicants missing, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged it was a design of the Centre to evict Biharis and Bengalis from that state.
The comments have drawn sharp reactions from political parties and associations in Assam, a state which saw a sixyear agitation against foreigners and where influx of illegal immigrants is a contentious issue.
“The process of NRC update is a foolproof one to ensure no Indian is left out and no foreigner included. Mamata Banerjee has no clear idea of the mechanism involved and that is why she is making baseless statements,” Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
“If she has any issues with the way the NRC process is being conducted, she should approach the Supreme Court,” he added.
Not just the ruling party, Banerjee’s remarks were not welcomed by the Opposition Congress leaders in the state either.
“There’s no need for Mamata Banerjee to meddle in affairs of Assam, we are still alive. Congress will always take care of all Assamese, Bengali, Bihari, Gorkha, Hindus, Muslims and tribals,” former chief minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters.
The NRC is being updated after 1951 to identify those who may have entered the state after March 25, 1971, a date agreed in the Assam Accord of 1985.
The process to update the register began in 2015, when Gogoi was the CM, but it got a big push after the BJP came to power in Assam for the first time in 2016 with ouster of illegal immigrants as its main election issue.
“Everyone was expecting to get an error-free NRC, but the complete draft released on Monday has several discrepancies. As the father of the NRC process, I would have been very happy if it was a correct draft,” Gogoi said.
The West Bengal CM’s comments have irked groups like All Assam Students Union (AASU), which led the six-year Assam Agitation, which ended with the signing of the Assam Accord.
“The update is the outcome of a long struggle by Assamese to protect their land, language and identity from the threat posed by illegal immigrants. Monday’s draft is one step in that direction,” said Lurin Jyoti Gogoi, general secretary of AASU. “Statements made by Mamata Banerjee are unfortunate and not rooted in truth. We urge her to refrain from making ill-informed remarks which are politically motivated.”