Stating NRC as unbiased, MEA says, ‘those whose names are not in the list will not be ‘stateless’

New Delhi, September 2: With the release of the most awaited National Register of Citizens list coming out on August 31, many of those who were excluded remained clueless. Asserting a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that those whose name are not in the list will not be 'stateless'. The final list of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) is out on Saturday, with 3,11,21,004 Assam residents included and 19,06,657 excluded.

Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that those not in final NRC list will not be detained. He also added that the state of Assam has assured provision of free legal assistance to any person excluded from the final list. He added that the facility is to enable people, especially disadvantaged sections, to have access to best possible legal assistance.

The NRC office has stated that hard copies of the Supplementary list of inclusions will be at the public view at NRC Seva Kendras (NSK). The final list has been published on Saturday- 31 August 2019 at 10 AM. The state coordinator has stated that those not satisfied with the outcome can file an appeal before Foreigners Tribunals.

Speaking to the media, a Home Affairs Ministry official stated that those excluded could move Foreigners Tribunals, [there is] 120 days window to appeal. No one will be declared a foreigner immediately, no one will be sent to detention centres.

For those excluded from the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) published on August 31 will get a window of up to 10 months to prove their citizenship before being sent to detention centres. However, the Centre had in June decided to help Assam create e-Foreigners’ Tribunals and increase the number of Foreigners’ Tribunals which is quasi-judicial establishments headed by members who are lawyers and retired judges and bureaucrats from the existing 100 to 1,000.