Assam NGO Demands CBI Probe on NRC Funds
Catch all the live updates on the release of the Assam NRC list here.
The Assam Public Works (APW which contributed to the initiation of the NRC process in the state, on Tuesday, 17 September demanded a CBI probe into utilisation of funds for updating the citizens list.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday, 16 September, said that NRC will be implemented in the state, at the time it “needs” it.
The final Assam NRC list was released on Saturday, 31 August, with 19,06,657 people being excluded and a total of 3,11,21,004 found eligible for inclusion.
- The NRC aims to identify illegal foreigners living in Assam
- Non-inclusion of a person’s name in NRC doesn’t amount to him/her being declared a foreigner, the MHA has clarified
- Those left out of the NRC can file appeals before foreigners tribunals
- An unhappy BJP has decided to move the Supreme Court again to re-verify select NRC data, said Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Assam NGO Demands CBI Probe on NRC Funds
The Assam Public Works (APW), the original petitioner in the Supreme Court that led to the initiation of the NRC process in the state demanded a CBI investigation on utilisation of funds allocated for updating the citizens list, reported PTI.
The central and state governments had allocated funds for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and their utilisation by officials concerned must be investigated by the CBI, APW President Aabhijeet Sharma told reporters in Delhi.
Visitors From Assam Harassed by Other NE States After NRC: Saikia to Sonowal
Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia urged Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to take up with the CMs of other NE states regarding the alleged harassment of people of Assam visiting the neighbouring states after the publication of final NRC.
Saikia in his letter to the Chief Minister said that there are media reports that following the publication of the final NRC, visitors from Assam are being harassed in certain neighbouring states, particularly in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, reported PTI.
Will Implement NRC in UP When Needed: Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that NRC will be implemented in the state, at the time it “needs” it.
He added that using Assam’s experience, Uttar Pradesh can start it in a “phase-wise” manner.
'Will Implement NRC in Haryana': Khattar
After Assam, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that the National Register of Citizens will be implemented in the state, reported PTI.
Apart from this, constitution of a Law Commission is also being considered in the state and an independent department would be set up to solicit the services of intellectuals, he said.
“We will implement NRC in Haryana,” Khattar told reporters in Panchkula after meeting Justice HS Bhalla (retd) and former Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba at their residences.
'No Indian Will Be Left Out': Smriti Irani on NRC
Union Minister Smriti Irani hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her opposition to the NRC, saying that the BJP-led government at the Centre is committed to protecting the rights of each and every citizen of the country.
“The illegal infiltrators will be dealt with as per law,” she asserted.
“No Indian will be left out. We are dedicated towards protecting the rights of the citizens of the country,” the union minister said, reported PTI.
'No Illegal Migrant Will Be Allowed to Stay in India': Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, 8 September said, no “illegal migrant” would be allowed to stay in the country and that the NRC exercise in Assam was completed in a “time-bound manner,” PTI reported.
Shah, also the chairman of the North Eastern Council (NEC), was addressing chief ministers of eight northeastern states, in his inaugural address at the 68th plenary session of the NEC in Guwahati.
Hajela Not Efficient in Discharging NRC Duty, Review Needed: Gogoi Writes to CJI
In a letter to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Senior Congress leader Tarun Gogoi has alleged that NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela did not follow the direction of the apex court although over 50,000 government officials were engaged in the NRC updation job and around Rs 1,200 crore was spent at the cost of development work of the state.
"Now the question arises about the fates of several lakh people who have been left out of the NRC and have to move to Foreigners Tribunals to prove their citizenship and face harassment, not due to their faults but due to the callousness and inefficiency of the NRC authority," he said, according to PTI.
FIRs Lodged Against NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela
Two FIRs have been lodged against Assam Coordinator of National Register of Citizens (NRC), Prateek Hajela, for "discrepancies" in the final updated list, PTI reported on Thursday, quoting the police.
A lawyer and indigenous Muslim students organisation - All Assam Goriya-Moriya Yuva Chatra Parishad - filed separate FIRs against Hajela in Dibrugarh and Guwahati, they said.
Chandan Mazumdar, whose name does not figure in the final NRC list, filed the complaint against Hajela at Dibrugarh police station on Wednesday, police said.
Assam Gets Protected Area Tag, Foreign Journalists Asked to Leave
The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Minsitry of External Affairs have now placed Assam under the protected area category following the NRC controversy, reported The Assam Tribune.
All foreign journalists working in Assam have been asked to leave and those willing to report from the state will now need clearance by MHA and MEA.
'I Am Really Scared': Hindu Bengali Refugees Excluded From NRC List
Many among the 19 lakh people who have been left out of the final NRC list are Hindu Bengali refugees.
They claim to have come to India from East Pakistan in the 60s, which is well before the NRC cut-off date of 1971. And yet, they didn't make it to the Assam NRC.
Watch The Quint’s report here.
'Assam Govt to Provide Legal Aid to Needy People Excluded From NRC List': MHA
The Assam government will provide legal aid to the people in need from amoungst those who have been excluded from the final list of the NRC, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
TMC to Hold Mass Protests Against NRC in West Bengal
Trinamool Congress leadership Monday decided to hold mass protests across West Bengal from this week opposing NRC in neighbouring Assam, party sources said.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence Monday afternoon.
It was decided that the mass protests would be held on 7-8 September against the National Register of Citizens and the divisive politics of BJP, the sources said.
Unhappy BJP to Move Supreme Court Seeking Re-verification of NRC Data
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to move the Supreme Court again to re-verify select NRC data.
According to Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Finance Minister and BJP's face in the northeast, the party would move the top court asking for a re-verification of 20 per cent of the sample data in the districts bordering Bangladesh. The BJP will also seek re-verification of 10 per cent of samples from the main land of Assam. This demand will be against the draft NRC.
The draft NRC gave BJP a surprise when many from the border districts, where the population is dense, made it to the list. It was presumed that majority of them were illegal Bangladeshis.
'People Excluded in NRC Will Not Be Detained': MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday, 1 September, assured that all those who are not there in the final NRC will not be detained.
MEA Spokesperson Ravish Kumar, addressing a press conference, said that those who are excluded will continue to enjoy all the rights as before till they have “exhausted all the remedies available under law.”
“This is not an executive-driven process. The process is being monitored by SC directly and the government is acting in accordance with the directives issued by the court. The SC has itself set the deadlines for all steps that have been taken so far,” he said.
UN Refugee Chief Urges India to Ensure No One Left Stateless
The top UN refugee official has urged India to ensure that no one is left stateless by the exclusion of nearly 2 million people from a citizenship list in Assam state.
Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, voiced his concern in a statement issued Sunday in Geneva.
He said that "any process that could leave large numbers of people without a nationality would be an enormous blow to global efforts to eradicate statelessness."
Shashi Tharoor Quotes Rabindranath Tagore on NRC
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, on Saturday 31 August, quoting famous poet Rabindranath Tagore, while speaking on the final NRC list, said that hatred of the foreigner could later turn into a hatred of Indians different from oneself.
AIUDF MLA, Former Legislator Also Excluded from Final List
An Assam All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Anant Kumar Malo, and a former AIUDF MLA Ataur Rahman Majharbhuyan have been excluded from the final NRC list, Scroll reported.
Apart from the two AIUDF leaders, Daughter of one Congress MLA Ilias Ali has also been excluded from the final list.
BJP has Demanded 20% Excluded Names to be Re-Surveyed: Ram Madhav
BJP National Secretary Ram Madhav, on Saturday 31 August congratulated official NRC team for completing the months-long procedure. He further reassured those who were not listed, saying that the BJP has demanded that at least 20 percent of them should be re-surveyed.
He further said that the Sonowal Government in Assam is taking all steps to maintain law and order.
Conduct NRC in Parliament: Cong's Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, on Saturday 31 August told news agency ANI that the central government should conduct an NRC in the parliament as well.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Chowdhury said that the government has failed to handle the issue in Assam. "They should conduct NRC wherever they wish to. They were not able to handle Assam NRC, they may go to other states also. They should conduct NRC in parliament also. I am also an outsider as my father lived in Bangladesh," Chowdhury said.
Assam NRC List: Unhappy With Exclusion Figure, AASU to Move SC
The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) said it is not happy with the exclusion figure in the final NRC list which was released on Saturday, and will appeal against it in the Supreme Court.
'BJP Should Learn a Lesson': Asaduddin Owaisi After Release of NRC List
After the release of the final Assam NRC list, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday slammed the BJP saying:
“Many people in Assam have told me that the parents' names are included, but names of their children are excluded. For example, Mohammad Sanaullah, he has served in the army. His case is pending in the high court. I am sure that he will also get justice,” he added.
'NRC Needed in Delhi Too as Situation is Becoming Dangerous': BJP's Manoj Tiwari
On a day when the NRC final list was released for Assam, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that National Register of Citizens is needed in Delhi too “as the situation is becoming dangerous”.
“Illegal immigrants who have settled here are the most dangerous, we will implement NRC here as well,” he said.
Retired Army Officer's Name Missing from NRC, Says 'Have Full Faith in Judiciary'
Retired army officer Mohammed Sanaullah on Saturday found his name to be missing from the NRC final list. “I was not expecting my name to be in the list as my case is still pending in the high court, I have full faith in the judiciary and I'm confident that I will get justice.”
'Not Fully Satisfied': Congress MP on NRC List
Speaking after the release of the final NRC list, Assam Congress MP Abdul Khaleque said, “I congratulate NRC state coordinator and the SC for publishing the final list. However, I'm not fully satisfied as many names of genuine Indian citizens have been left out. I appeal to the government to review formation of foreigners tribunals.”
Himanta Biswa Sarma Demands Re-Verification For 'Correct and Fair NRC'
Soon after the final Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) list was released on Saturday, the state’s minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma demanded that 20 percent re-verification in bordering districts and 10 percent re-verification in remaining districts be allowed by the Supreme Court for a “correct and fair” NRC.
Queues Outside NRC Seva Kendra in Assam’s Barpeta
People queue up outside an NRC Seva Kendra in Assam’s Barpeta on Saturday to check their names in the NRC final list.
Congress to Hold Meeting on Assam NRC List
The Congress party will be holding a meeting shortly at 10 Janpath in Delhi regarding the Assam NRC final list.
'Non-Inclusion of a Person's Name Doesn't Amount to His/Her Being Declared a Foreigner'
Seeking to quell rumours around the NRC, the Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier put out certain pointers, asserting that the non-inclusion of a person’s name in NRC does not amount to his/her being declared a foreigner, and that whoever has been left out of the list can appeal to the foreigners tribunals.
Assam NRC List: Over 19 Lakh People Excluded, 3.11 Crore Found Eligible for Inclusion
More than 19 lakh people have been excluded and a total of 3,11,21,004 have been found eligible for inclusion in the final Assam NRC list.
NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela said, “A total of 3,11,21,004 persons (were) found eligible for inclusion in final NRC leaving out 19,06,657 persons, including those who did not submit their claims. Those not satisfied with outcome can file appeal before Foreigners Tribunals.”
“Any person who is not satisfied with the outcome of the claims and objections can file appeal before the Foreigners Tribunals,” the state coordinator added.
Final Assam NRC List Out, Website Live
The final Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) list has been published, with the ‘Supplementary List of Inclusions and Exclusions (Final NRC)’ live on the website www.nrcassam.nic.in.
Assam NRC List: How To Check if Your Name is There
You can check if your name is on the list online via the www.nrcassam.nic.in or www.assam.mygov.in, with the relevant link being ‘Supplementary Inclusions/Exclusions Lists (Final NRC) status’.
If not online, the list can be accessed at the NRC Seva Kendras, as well as the circle officer and deputy commissioner’s offices.
Assam NRC List: 'Have Lost Hope in Present Form of NRC', Says Himanta Biswa Sarma
Casting doubts over the final NRC list to be published on Saturday, Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday was quoted by NDTV as saying, “We have lost hope in the present form of the NRC right after the draft. When so many genuine Indians are out, then how can you claim that this document is a red letter for the Assamese society.”
Claiming that the rate of exclusion is low in the district bordering Bangladesh, he added, “NRC is no quarter final, semi-final and final for driving out Bangladeshis… wait a while and you will see more finals under the BJP regime.”
Assam NRC List: Security Forces Guard NRC Seva Kendras, State Coordinator’s Office
The final NRC list is expected to be out by around 10 am.
Assam 'Normal' on the Eve of Publication of Final NRC
The law and order situation in Assam was normal on the eve of publication of the final NRC and the Centre has rushed additional 51 companies of paramilitary forces to Assam to maintain law and order in the state, Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia said on Friday.
The state police have also been deployed along with the central paramilitary forces and all measures are in place to ensure peace and harmony in Assam when the final National Register of Citizens list is published on Saturday, Saikia said on Friday.
The situation in the state is "calm, quiet and under control", he said adding "Assam police is prepared for any kind of situation".
‘Don’t Panic, Maintain Peace’: Assam CM Ahead of NRC Release
CM Sonowal to Address Assam Ahead of NRC Publication Tomorrow
'Don't Panic, Will Provide Legal Assistance to the Poor': Assam CM
Ahead of the publication of the final NRC, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday asked people not to panic and said the state government will take all possible steps to help genuine Indians prove their citizenship and provide legal assistance to the poor.
“No one should be worried. No one should panic. Government is here to take care of everyone. Even those who will be excluded from the final list will get enough opportunity to prove their Indian citizenship,” he told PTI in an interview.
"Exclusion from the NRC does not mean a person automatically becoming a foreigner. Only an FT has the right to declare a person foreigner, no one else. Even if someone is declared a foreigner, that person can challenge the FT order in the high court, and if not satisfied, then the Supreme Court," he said.
Sonowal assured people that the state government will provide legal aid to poor people in their fight against exclusion from the NRC so that they can pursue their cases in foreigners tribunals and in higher courts.
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