AGARTALA, Oct 5 - Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has assured that the Centre will undertake the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Tripura once the ongoing process in Assam is completed, Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) general secretary Jagadish Debbarma claimed today.
Debbarma said the assurance came during a meeting between the Union Minister and an INPT delegation held in New Delhi on Thursday. The meeting was convened on the NRC issue following a memorandum given to President Ramnath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in August. Though the memorandum was submitted by the INPT leaders, but they could not meet any Central leaders then.
�We had talks with the Union Home Minister on the NRC issue and he categorically assured us of initiating the process (NRC) after the ongoing exercise in Assam is over,� Debbarma said over telephone.
Besides, the INPT delegation also took up the issue of the State�s political situation where Opposition parties are not being allowed to carry out their political activities on flimsy grounds. �Rajnathji gave us a patient hearing,� he said.
The INPT delegation also explained why their party is strongly opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill initiated by the present Government, he said, adding that the party also placed a demand to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Tripura without further delay to protect the rights of the indigenous people.
However, MHA officials denied having given any assurance to the INPT leaders on introducing the NRC in Tripura. An official statement quoting an MHA official categorically denied the veracity of the reports that appeared in a section of dailies.
�The Union Minister met a delegation of the INPT led by its president, BK Hrangkhawl, in Delhi yesterday. However, no assurance of any kind was given by the Union Minister regarding implementation of the NRC in Tripura. It is categorically asserted that no decision has been taken on the issue of the NRC in Tripura,� Sanjoy Mishra, OSD to the Tripura Chief Minister said here today, quoting an MHA statement.
