Guwahati: The much-anticipated Second and Final Draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on Monday with names of 40.07 lakh applicants - most of them Muslims, missing from what the ruling dispensation and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) termed a historic document to safeguard the interests of ethnic and local Assamese population.
The document has 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants in Assam, Registrar General of India Sailesh said while releasing the document Monday morning in a specially convened press conference.
"This is a historic day for India and Assam. The exercise is unparalleled in size. It is a legal process done under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court," Registrar General of India Sailesh said while addressing the press meet.
The NRC is claimed to have included the names of all Indian citizens who have been residing in Assam before March 25, 1971. The first draft of the NRC was published during the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 this year, containing 1.9 crore names.
Talking about people whose names did not appear in the final draft, Sailesh said, "The process for making claims and objections will begin on August 30 and continue till September 28. Adequate and ample scope will be given to people for making objections. No genuine Indian citizen should have any fear."
"The exercise was carried out in a transparent, fair, objective manner", Shailesh claimed.
The Opposition parties, mainly Congress and Trinamool Congress Party have slammed the document. While the Congress said the document has a lot of irregularities, TMC Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it is an attempt to make people refugees in their homeland.
"People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried because people are being made refugees in their own country. Its a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also," Banerjee said at a press conference.
Banerjee also asked if the Centre had a rehabilitation plan for the 40 lakh people whose names were not included in the NRC final draft.
"Where will the 40 lakh people whose names have been deleted go? Does Centre have any rehabilitation program for them? Ultimately it is Bengal which will suffer. Its just a vote bank politics by the BJP," she said while demanding amendment.
Responding to the omission of more than 40 lakh names from the Final NRC Draft, Assam Congress Chief Ripun Bora said there were a lot of irregularities with the final NRC draft and expressed surprise at such a large number of names being left out.
"40 lakh names ineligible is a very high figure and very surprising. There are lot of irregularities in the report. We will raise this issue with the government and in the Parliament. Political motive of BJP is also behind this," ANI quoted Bora as saying.
On the other hand, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said no coercive action will be taken against anyone. "Even someone whose name is not in the final list can approach the foreigners tribunal. No coercive action will be taken against anyone, hence there is no need for anyone to panic," ANI quoted Rajnath as saying.
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal congratulated the people of the state after the successful publication of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
"The historic day will remain etched in their memories forever," PTI quoted Sonowal as saying.
Sonowal also thanked the officials who were involved in updating the NRC.
"For this remarkable feat, I extend my heartiest congratulations to the 55,000 officials engaged in NRC updation process and the people living across the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys, plains and hills of the state," he said.
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