Congress promises NRC notification, I cards to enrolled citizens of Assam

BARKHETRI: Assam state Congress president Ripun Bora today announced that the Congress, if voted to power, will accept and notify the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and issue identity card to every citizen of Assam.

Addressing a rally here, attended by former Congress national president Rahul Gandhi, Bora also promised to take necessary steps for early hearing and disposal of appeals of those 19.6 lakh people who have been left out of the final draft of the NRC.

“I promise you today that if our party comes to power, we will take the help of the Supreme Court of India to accept and formally notify the NRC that has been kept stalled by the BJP government. We will also issue identity card to every citizen of Assam,” Bora said.

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“Besides, we will also ensure that the hearings of the appeals by those 19.6 lakh left out of the final draft start at the earliest and the genuine Indian citizens’ names are enrolled without further delay,” he added.

The Congress has already set up a legal cell to deal with the NRC dropout cases at Foreigners Tribunals.

Meanwhile, the Registrar General of India has ordered closure of the NRC update office in the state and refused to sanction any further fund to run the office after March 31. The RGI has also expressed displeasure with NRC state coordinator for not issuing rejection slips till date to those who have been left out of the final draft.

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Although the NRC state coordinator had promised to issue the slips by end of December last year, his office did not start the process till date.