Assam NRC: Trapped in its own rhetoric, BJP vows to shield 'citizens'

GUWAHATI: Publication of the final NRC has left BJP a prisoner of its own rhetoric. The party pushed for an NRC-like exercise across the country, but increasingly distanced itself from the process in Assam. Now, with the final NRC throwing up an exclusion figure of 19 lakh, BJP has completely discounted the process.
"Former CM Hiteswar Saikia (Congress) said there were 30 lakh foreigners in Assam, former Union home minister Indrajit Gupta said 40 lakh and former Union MoS for home Sriprakash Jaiswal referred to about 40 lakh foreigners. The NRC does not reflect this at all," state BJP chief Ranjeet Kumar Dass said on Saturday. NRC in its current form did not protect the political, economic and social rights of Indians in Assam, he added.
Dissatisfied with the exclusion of "genuine Indian citizens", Dass said the Centre would bring about "definite measures" to protect them. "We won't wait till the foreigners' tribunals give verdicts on each of the 19,06,657 people excluded from NRC. Our government will definitely come out with legislative measures so that excluded Indians' rights are protected," he said.
Without confirming if it was thinking of reviving the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2016, which lapsed earlier this year after the Centre failed to table it in the Rajya Sabha, Dass said, "We are not saying we will bring back the CAB, but we will explore protective measures for Indians rejected by NRC, including through amendment of existing legislation."
Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a member of the BJP-led ruling alliance in Assam, said there is scope for its review in the Supreme Court. The number of exclusions appears to be "ridiculously small", AGP president and state agriculture minister Atul Bora said.


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