BJP skipping SIR in Assam to dodge NRC fallout: TMC MP Sushmita Dev

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev has claimed that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is “a kind of NRC,” asserting that the BJP-led government deliberately avoided conducting it in Assam to escape uncomfortable questions about the outcome of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Speaking to reporters, Dev said, “SIR is a kind of NRC and the entire opposition says this. The government did not conduct SIR in Assam, and that itself is the biggest proof that it is indeed NRC.”

She added that between 2013 and 2019, the NRC exercise in Assam involved verification of documents belonging to around 3 crore people. “Now, if SIR is conducted here, the government will have to answer questions about the NRC’s results. The BJP is not conducting SIR in Assam to save itself from this awkward situation,” she said.

TMC MP Sushmita Dev has said that the people of Assam have lost faith in the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government following the tragic death of singer Zubeen Garg, calling for complete transparency in the ongoing investigation. “Zubeen resided in the hearts of the people of Assam, and after the incident, people have lost trust in the government. I want to see the SIT report or the chargesheet in the case,” Dev said.

The TMC leader added that Garg’s untimely death gave the people of Assam an opportunity to stand united beyond political and communal divides, but accused the BJP government of continuing its “divisive politics.” “For the past four and a half years, the BJP has been doing communal politics. After Zubeen’s death, people raised their voices against it,” she said.

Also Read: Assam CM calls judicial probe into Zubeen’s death a ‘landmark step toward truth and justice’

Dev asserted that if any irregularities or inconsistencies are found in the chargesheet or the SIT report, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma should take moral responsibility and step down.

Dev’s remarks come amid the ongoing political debate over the SIR exercise, which opposition parties allege is a backdoor attempt to revive the NRC process nationwide.

Earlier in October, Sushmita Dev had alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is effectively a “backdoor NRC” and accused the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of protecting the BJP-led government in Assam.

Speaking to the media, Dev said, “The Special Intensive Revision is a backdoor NRC. The proof of that is the Chief Election Commissioner himself, who on October 27 said that Assam will not face SIR because the NRC is almost complete.”

She said there are two major issues concerning the NRC in Assam — first, that the exercise has remained pending since 2019, and second, that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has frequently changed his stance on it. “The Chief Minister has taken a somersault on the NRC and has even rejected it decisively,” she stated.