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Opp stalls Rajya Sabha proceedings over NRC

By Spl Correspondent

NEW DELHI, July 31 - The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day after the Opposition led by the Trinamool Congress and Congress today stalled the House proceedings over the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh could not make any statement as an upset chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House for the day till Wednesday morning.

�Some of the members have given notices under Rule 267 on different issues but I have not admitted them. Yesterday, an important issue was sought to be raised about the non-registration of over 40 lakh names in the National Register of Citizens in Assam,� he said.

�Accordingly, I had requested the Home Minister. He was here and I wanted the issue to be mentioned so that he can respond because I also feel that it is a sensitive and also a serious matter. It has a historical background of Assam Accord. This NRC is a part of that Assam Accord, which had been approved earlier... But, unfortunately, for whatever reasons, the House could not function yesterday,� he said.

Trouble started when opposition parties objected to BJP member Amit Shah�s speech over publication of the Assam NRC. The BJP national president said the NRC was a result of the Assam Accord signed by former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi in 1985. �He (Raiv Gandhi) declared this in his Independence Day speech also. The core of the accord was to update the NRC. You Congress have no courage to implement it, but we did it as we have courage,� Shah said.

Earlier, initiating the discussion, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the issue is relating to human rights affecting over 40 lakh people in Assam. He said the issue should not be politicised and suggested that the onus of proving citizenship should be on the government also and the individual concerned should be extended legal assistance.

Participating in the discussion, Biswajeet Daimary said that he wanted to give some clarification on the final draft NRC and said that there is no possibility of the final figure increasing any further. �The figure cannot have any increase. The figure also includes lots of Assamese people, including those who have married outside the State. If every state takes the matter seriously and supplies the legacy data then the problem would be sorted out,� he added. �No action will be taken against those whose names are deleted. That is why there is peace in Assam,� he asserted.

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