NRC Unlikely to Free Assam from Foreigners: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati, August 30, 2019:

Joining other senior-level Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in voicing dissatisfaction against the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma too lashed out at the Prateek Hajela-fronted project.

Expressing his dissatisfaction with the way the NRC process has been conducted, Biswa Sarma opined, "the NRC is not progressing the way we had hoped. It was conceptualized with the population explosion due to the influx of illegal migrants. However, only 6-7% of people have been questioned in these bordering areas", he lamented.

Also Read: Assam Deploys 218 Companies of Security Personnel Across 2,500 NSKs to Keep Peace Ahead of Final NRC

Speaking on the sidelines of a programme, the Chanakya of Assam BJP further stated that the NRC has not been able to fulfill the hopes and dreams of the people of Assam and further alleged that many 'sons of the soil' have been excluded from the final NRC draft.

Instead of discussing who will be included or excluded, said Biswa Sarma, more emphasis should be put on ensuring the

"Final numbers will be given by the Foreigners' Tribunal, so that is something that we have to focus on", he said.

The Minister further raised questions about the accuracy of the draft in settling the question of citizenship. "It is clear that the NRC is not a draft of the indigenous people, as only 6% of the people of Dhubri have seen their citizenship called into question, whereas the number is much higher in Karbi Anglong, at 16%", he said.

"Have given up hopes on the NRC, we are now mulling alternative methods of weeding out the illegal foreigners", he said.

The Finance Minister said that he is simply waiting for the ordeal to get over, and added that "all will become clear after the publication".

BJP State President Ranjeet Kr. Dass also slammed the NRC and questioned its accuracy.

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