'Assam NRC is Flop, Fraud, and Fake': MLA Shiladiya Dev

Tamulpur, August 12, 2019:

Discrepancies in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been one of the major allegations in the state in the run-up to its publication on August 31. Yet another incident of discrepancies in the NRC has been reported from Tamulpur of Baksa district, ahead of the NRC final draft publication on August 31, as per the deadline set by the Supreme Court.

In Paharpur area of Baksa districts’ Tamulpur, situated along the Indo-Bhutan border, a freedom fighter’s family has been left out of the NRC. The freedom fighter, Purna Bahadur Chetry, was an active member of the Indian National Army, formed by Indian nationalist Rash Behari Bose in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II.

The freedom fighter also did not receive any pension despite appeals to the state government. Following this, Hojai MLA, Shiladitya Dev, on Monday visited the family to take an account of the situation.

Addressing the media, Shiladitya Dev said, “I don’t know whom to blame. Even I am guilty that despite being an MLA, I could not do anything and they had to settle here near the border. I will inform the people about the matter and write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So many years have passed and if he would have been alive, he would be 94 years and his wife is now 92 years. Two of his sons have already died and one is surviving but they did not receive any facilities till date. I’ll write to the PM that if a 60 years old can get a pension, then why not this family despite having all the necessary documents?”

Dev slammed the NRC terming it as ‘flop’, ‘fraud’ and ‘fake’ and accused NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajella of running a one-man show. He added, “If the names of freedom fighter’s family have been excluded in the NRC, then Hajella, you are a fraud, so is your NRC. I’d request the apex court to remove this man from this process.”

The Hojai MLA asked none to accept the NRC as they will be appealing for the re-initiation of the NRC along with rest of India. He added, “The workers who are engaged in the NRC works cannot identify the fake documents that are being produced by the Bangladeshi nationals, but freedom fighters are being left out.”

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