GUWAHATI, July 16 - Opposition Congress today accused the BJP of trying to use the ongoing NRC update work to polarise the people of the State on religious grounds for the sake of political gain during next year�s Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing the media here today, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora said that there is a suspicion that names of a substantial number of people belonging to the religious minority segment will be excluded from the updated NRC.
He said that BJP is interfering in the NRC update process and so there is apprehension that many genuine Indian citizens belonging to the minority community will not find their names in the document.
Bora added that there has been a spurt in notices served to people belonging to the minority community despite them possessing relevant documents.
He said that there are allegations that some officials engaged in the NRC update work are not undertaking verification of documents properly and there have also been instances of flouting of Supreme Court guidelines on matters like use of panchayat certificates as linkage documents for married women.
�This is being done to polarise the people on religious ground so that the BJP can benefit,� he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Leader of Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia said that there have been instances where the NRC authority has sought reports from police stations regarding cases filed against particular individuals at some place or another and such reports have been sent to the NRC Seva Kendras (NSKs) located close to where the concerned individuals reside. Saikia said this prejudices the entire process of verification of NRC update.
He also called for a judicial inquiry on alleged harassment of some people who have already been declared as Indian citizens by Foreigners Tribunals and yet declared as D-voters in the electoral rolls.
Bora, meanwhile, said the Congress will extend all assistance to genuine Indian citizens whose names fail to make it to the final draft of NRC.
Congress is also going to approach the Union Home Ministry regarding the alleged anomalies in the NRC update process. APCC also opposed toll collection at the Raha toll gate saying it should be immediately stopped.
Bora said toll collection should be undertaken only after work on the national highway is over and ancillary facilities like dividers, streetlights and steel barriers are put in place. Saikia said the government�s decision to hand over the Barak valley coal scam to the CBI proves the party�s stand about existence of syndicates in the State.
