NRC to contain genuine Indians’ names: Hansraj Ahir

New Delhi, Feb 8: Assuring the Elders on Natinal Register of Citizens (NRC) issue Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said in Rajya Sabha that the NRC will contain the names of all genuine Indian citizens of Assam.

In a reply to a question from Congress member Ripun Bora, he said that updating of NRC is being monitored by the Supreme Court. A part draft of NRC, Assam covering 1.90 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants, has been published on December 31, 2017. The part draft included the names of those applicants in respect of whom the entire process of verification has been completed, he said.

The remaining applicants are under various stages of scrutiny and after their verification is completed, another draft NRC will be published. The NRC, Assam is being updated as per the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. This work is being carried out in a fair and objective manner, Ahir added.

In a separate reply, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that the NRC process is being undertaken in a fair, objective and transparent manner.

The Government of India has extensive engagement with the Government of Bangladesh under various bilateral mechanisms like the Joint Consultative Commission, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary-level talks, Joint Working Group on Security and Border Management, Joint Task Forces on Human Trafficking, and Fake Currency Notes.

All issues of relevance and importance relating to security and border management, including the issue of illegal migrants, are raised at these bilateral talks, Rijiju said.

State Govt allays NRC fears: Meanwhile in Guwahati Assam’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary sought to allay fears expressed by some sections over the NRC and said no genuine Indian citizen will be left out.

“Since late seventies, there has been instability in the State over the issue. Once the NRC is complete, we will get rid of the problem which has been pestering the minds for years,” Patowary said, when Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purukayastha raised the issue of missing names and mistakes in the first part draft of NRC.

Patowary said the Supreme Court was monitoring the exercise and the State Government was facilitating it and giving logistic support.

“Cutting across party lines, it is the sacred duty of all people to ensure that we get an error-free NRC. There should not be any politics on the issue. No one should be apprehensive. Names of all Indians will be included in the NRC and no foreigner can enter their names,” he claimed.