Assam NRC draft has excluded at least 40 lakh people. (File Photo/PTI)
"No Indian citizen should be concerned and natives of any other state living in Assam would not be touched," BJP president Amit Shah said in a press conference on Tuesday evening after his speech in Rajya Sabha over the Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue was cut short following protests by the Opposition.
While the ruling BJP and the Opposition led by the Congress and Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress are engaged in a slugfest over the issue, the NRC draft released on Monday has exposed several irregularities.
There have been several reports of families complaining that while a few members have been included in the list, names of others are missing from NRC draft which means they are in the list of 40 lakh people who have been declared 'outsiders'.
When IndiaTV's team reached Assam's Dhubri district to check the authencity of such claims, it came across several families who have no idea what they will do next.
In Dhubri's Gauripur area, a family claimed that they had submitted required document to prove their nationality together. However, names of two brothers have been included in the NRC draft while others are missing from it. There were many such families in the locality with similar complaints.
IndiaTV's team also met an 18-year-old girl named Dola who said that her mother's name has not been included in the list while her's was there. However, Dola was hopeful that correction would be done soon as the mistake could be due to some technical reasons.
Both Hindus, Muslims 'missing' from NRC draft
The Opposition has been targetting the BJP over NRC draft saying the saffron party's move is primarily aimed at throwing the Muslims from the region. However, ground reports suggest that both Hindus and Muslims are among those 40 lakh people who have been excluded in the NRC draft.
Moreover, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has already assured the no one will be harassed in the NRC updation process.
"Nobody will be harassed in the process and at every stage of the process, adequate opportunity of being heard will be given to all persons. The draft NRC has been prepared in accordance with the law under the monitoring of the Supreme Court. No coercive action will be taken against anyone," Rajnath Singh said.
"There is no need to panic," assured Rajnath in Lok Sabha. However, the Opposition appears in no mood to let the issue die down as it sees a great opportunity in it to corner the government both inside and outside the Parliament.
(Reported by Anupam Mishra in Dhubri, Assam)
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