GUWAHATI, Aug 6 - Since the process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is going on under the constant monitoring of the Supreme Court, if any political party has anything to say against the process, they should approach the court instead of giving inflammatory statements to create tension in the society. This was the view expressed by the All Assam Students� Union (AASU).
Talking to The Assam Tribune, AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said that students� body wants permanent solution to the problem of infiltration of foreigners and the publication of the complete draft of the NRC is the first step in that direction. He pointed out that despite the fact that the process of updating the NRC is a legal and transparent process, which is going on under the strict monitoring of the Supreme Court, some political parties and organizations have been trying to create confusion in the minds of the people with misleading statements. Instead of making such statements, such parties and organizations should approach the Supreme Court if they have any grievance against the process, he added.
Hitting out against the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, the AASU chief adviser wondered how a Chief Minister of a state, who took oath to abide by the Constitution of India can utter words like �civil war, blood bath� etc., to instigate people. He alleged that the West Bengal Chief Minister was trying to create division in the Assamese society with her statements. But at the same time, he asserted that the people of Assam are matured enough not to fall prey to such attempts by the West Bengal Chief Minister. He also said that instead of trying to create a vote bank for her party in Assam by instigating people, Banerjee should try to seal the West Bengal-Bangladesh border or else the indigenous people of her own state would be reduced to minorities in the days to come.
Bhattacharya said that the Congress is also maintaining double standard on the issue of updating the NRC. When the draft was published, the Congress first issued statements against it but later claimed credit for it. Different leaders of the party are giving different views on the issue, he added. He asserted that no party can claim credit for the NRC and the process could be expedited only because of the monitoring by the Supreme Court.
Bhattacharya said that of late, some political parties are making a hue and cry in the Parliament on the issue of NRC, but they did not spare a single day over the years to discuss the problem of infiltration of foreigners, which proved that the parties are only interested in creating a vote bank with illegal migrants. At the same time, he asserted that Assam would not be allowed to be used as a dumping ground of illegal migrants irrespective of their religion and warned the political parties not to give communal or linguistic colour to the process of updating the NRC. He also reiterated the demand that the voters' list should be revised immediately after the final NRC is published as only genuine Indian citizens should have the right to elect representatives.
