BJP vows to 'correct' Assam NRC in pre-election manifesto

GUWAHATI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Jagat Prakash Nadda while releasing the party's manifesto for the ensuing elections in Assam said that the party will seek to release a 'corrected' version of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), The objective of which is to record and list Indian citizens while identifying illegal migrants and residents who cannot substantiate citizenship claims.

"We will work towards protecting the rights of the Assamese people with a corrected NRC," Nadda said while releasing the BJP manifesto.

"When we talk about a corrected NRC," Nadda clarified further, "we will take into account the mandate given by the Supreme Court. We will protect the genuine Indian citizens and detect the infiltrators so that Assam can stay Assam."

The Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on 31 August, hot on the heels of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, which was assented to on 9 August 2019.

In the final draft of NRC, out of 3.30 crore applicants, 31.11 crore names have been found to be eligible for inclusion in updated NRC and a total of 19.06 lakh persons were excluded.

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However, several top BJP party leaders -- including Health, Finance, and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma -- have cried foul over the version of the NRC as it exists and promised that re-verification' will be done if the saffron party comes to power.

Nadda said the incumbent BJP is making 10 commitments to the people of Assam if they bring it back to power. “We have gained momentum of development. We are standing for a big leap. With these aspirations, we have put our words in 10 commitments to the people of Assam,” he said.

Assam goes to the three-phase polling for the 126-member Assembly from March 27. The counting will be held on May 2. The ruling BJP-led coalition is challenged by the Congress and its Mahajot allies.