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AGP dissatisfied over final NRC


Published : 31 Aug 2019 08:58 PM | Updated : 02 Sep 2020 12:04 PM

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a member of the ruling BJP-led alliance in Assam, on Saturday expressed dissatisfaction over the final NRC in the state and said there is scope for its review in the Supreme Court which supervised the updating process. The number of exclusion of names in the NRC appears to be "ridiculously small", AGP President and state Agriculture Minister Atul Bora said.

The National Register of Citizens, which validates the Indian citizens of Assam, has been updated on the basis of Assam Accord's clause of detecting, deleting and deporting foreigners, he told newsmen in Guwahati. "We (AGP) are not at all happy about it (the exclusions). The figure of 19,06,657 exclusions in the final NRC is too less and we just cannot accept it ... There is scope for its review in the Supreme Court," the AGP leader said.

Bora said, “The people of Assam had hoped for a free and fair NRC but it now seems that the very existence of the Assamese will be further threatened.” He said the AGP would hold chalk out its course of action regarding a review of the NRC in Supreme Court. The AGP was formed by All Assam Students Union which had spearheaded the six-year long violent agitation from 1979 to drive out illegal foreigners from the state. AASU was a signatory to the 1985 Assam Accord.

Meanwhile, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had a dig at the central government saying it ‘should conduct NRC in parliament’. Senior Congress leaders met in at the residence of party chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Saturday when the NRC issue was discussed, Chowdhury said that the government has failed to handle the issue in Assam.

“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," said Chowdhury. The Congress meeting was attended by Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders like A K Antony and Gaurav Gogoi among others. "No genuine citizen should be ousted in any condition and all the genuine citizens must be provided protection," Chowdhury said.