Assam final NRC draft out: 40 lakh left out
GUWAHATI: Amid tight security, the much-awaited second and final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on Monday with over 2.89 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants in Assam, Registrar General of India Sailesh said here.
Around 40.07 lakh applicants, however, did not find a place in the historic document, touted to be a proof of Assamese identity.
A senior police officer said prohibitory orders under Sec 144 of CRPC had been imposed in all the 33 districts of the state as a precautionary measure in the wake of the NRC release.
Declining comment on noninclusion of around 40.07 lakh applicants, NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela said the exercise was carried out as per the instructions of the Supreme Court.
Four categories of people doubtful voters, their descendants, people whose cases were pending at Foreigners Tribunals and their offspring - were not included in the list, he said.
Hajela also said people would be able to reapply for inclusion at the sewa kendras.
“The process for making claims and objections will begin on August 30 and continue till September 28. An adequate and ample scope will be given to people for making objections. No genuine Indian citizen should have any fear,” he added.
Assam is the first Indian state where the NRC is being updated after 1951, with March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date, to include names of genuine Indian citizens.
The first NRC draft, with 1.9 crore names, was released during the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 this year.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal urged people not to panic if their names did not appear in NRC draft as genuine Indian citizens would get “full opportunity” to make claims and objections.
Amid opposition uproar over the publication of the National Register of Citizens in Assam, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asked parties opposing it not to politicise the “sensitive” issue.
Singh said the NRC list published on Monday is not the final list and applicants will have the option of raising claims and objections.
The opposition TMC, Congress, CPI(M) and SP criticised the government over the publication of the list, saying it puts “human rights and democratic rights” of people at stake.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Monday following an uproar by the opposition, especially the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party over the publication of Assam’s National Register of Citizens.