On what capacity has Finance Minister rejected the NRC?

‘The AASU has not rejected the updated NRC. We want that the updated citizens’ register must be only re-examined and rectified.’

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: “From where has he (State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma) got the right to reject the NRC? Who has taken the decision in this regard? Is it the Central Cabinet or the State Cabinet or is it his (Himanta) personal decision? And on what capacity has he rejected the updated NRC?” posed the general secretary of AASU (All Assam Students’ Union), Lurinjyoti Gogoi on Wednesday.

Talking to The Sentinel, the student leader said, “The NRC updation exercise was carried out only in Assam as per the Citizenship Act, the Assam Accord, the relevant rules and strictly under the monitoring of the Supreme Court of India. Besides, the NRC case is subjudice in the apex Court. If the government has to say anything on the updated NRC, they do have the right; but they should express their views in the Supreme Court.”

He further stressed, “The AASU has not rejected the updated NRC. We want that the updated citizens’ register must be only re-examined and rectified.”

On the Central government’s move to have the NRC exercise across the country, the AASU general secretary pointed out, “It was only in Assam that the NRC was first carried out way back in 1951. The present updation of the NRC is based on the 1951 NRC and the electoral roll up to 1971. So the NRC exercise in Assam is definitely different in comparison to the other States of the country where no NRC has ever been carried out.”

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