Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma calls for new NRC

Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam, said on Sunday that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) should be examined and re-done.

"We have previously stated that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) should be examined and re-done. Our discussion with the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) is ongoing," he told reporters after visiting a youth event in Guwahati.

Earlier on Thursday, Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora stated that the state administration has decided to petition the Supreme Court to have the National Register of Citizens re-verified (that was published in 2019 August).

Bora told ANI, "The decision was made after a meeting with the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and other indigenous groups. We will not accept the NRC list released in August 2019. Now we've decided to petition the Supreme Court for re-verification."

On Thursday, the Assam government and AASU leadership met to discuss the implementation of the Assam Accord.

The first NRC list was released in Assam in 1951. When the draft NRC was released on July 30, 2018, it sparked outrage due to the omission of 40.7 lakh persons.

Out of the total 3.29 crore applications, the draft NRC includes the names of 2.9 crore persons. In August 2019, a revised list of citizens was issued, which eliminated 19.06 lakh persons out of 3.3 crore applications.

On the other hand, AASU Advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya remarked that the names of many illegal Bangladeshi people were included in the last NRC list, and that we seek an illegal Bangladeshi-free NRC.

"Because we want it, the NRC list should be re-verified. In order to acquire this, we have already filed a petition with the Supreme Court. We urge both the Centre and the States to file a petition with the Supreme Court for a genuine NRC," Dr Bhattacharya said.

The National Registration of Citizens (NRC) is an Indian citizen registry that was established for the first time in 1951. It is now being adapted for use in Assam in order to screen out illegal immigration.