NEW DELHI, July 18 - Allaying all apprehensions, the Central government today said that the National Register of Citizens being updated in Assam will include the names of all genuine Indian citizens.
In a Rajya Sabha reply to a question by Meghalaya Congress MP Wansuk Syiem, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said the Assam government has made necessary arrangements for maintenance of law and order during the course of NRC update exercise. The Central government on the request of the State government has also made available Central armed police forces for deployment in Assam, he said.
The Supreme Court has directed that the complete draft NRC in Assam be published on or before July 30.
Asked whether there have been apprehensions in the Northeast about the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which is likely to change the demographic balance in the region, the minister said representations have been received from different quarters on the proposed Bill.
Meanwhile, in reply to a separate question, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, however, declined to give a figure on the number of illegal immigrants and Rohingya in the country. �The entry of illegal immigrants is clandestine and surreptitious and therefore, an accurate number of such illegal migrants is not available,� he said.
Rijiju said detection and deportation of illegal immigrants is a continuous process. �Instructions have been issued to state governments for taking appropriate and prompt steps for identification of illegal migrants and initiation of legal proceeding such as deportation as per provisions of law,� the minister said.
�There are reports of some Rohingya indulging in illegal activities. However, such data is not centrally maintained,� Rijiju said.
