Attempts on to include illegal migrants: NRC officer to Supreme Court

Prateek Hajela added that the demand to include all 15 documents for filing inclusion claims and objections was “more of political posturing than real requirement”.

National Register of Citizens’ (NRC) Assam coordinator, Prateek Hajela, has claimed in the Supreme Court that the outcry against the exclusion of five identity documents as a basis for filing claims and objections is an attempt to get illegal immigrants included in the NRC.

A woman whose name was left out in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft gives thumb impression when she submits her form and documents at a NRC center on the outskirts of Gauhati on August 13. (AP File Photo)

The top court had on Tuesday asked Hajela to explain to the state government, Centre and other stakeholders why five documents — extract of the 1951 NRC, copy of electoral rolls up to March 24, 1971, citizenship and refugee registration certificates up to March 24, 1971 and ration cards— were not allowed to be used for filing inclusion claims. Around four million people were excluded from the final NRC draft released on July 30.

The Centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government, the Opposition Congress and outfits representing minority communities have demanded that the all the initial 15 List A documents, which the applicants could submit with the NRC, be allowed as a basis for filing claims, objections.

In a report submitted in the Supreme Court on October 4 and made available by the court to the stakeholders on Thursday, Hajela states: “As NRC claims and objections is the last chance for the illegal migrants, these actions [demand for inclusion of five documents]…are actually a well planned attempt to get the illegal migrants into the NRC...” HT has seen a copy of the report.

He also accused the state government of failing to ensure implementation of rules to weed out illegal immigrants.

The government, however, maintained that it would push for the inclusion of all 15 List A documents in the claims and objections process

“The people of Assam and AASU (All Assam Students Union) have been saying that illegal Bangladeshis are trying to get into the NRC through fake documents...,” said AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya.