NRC to be implemented across India, Shah informs Rajya Sabha

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be implemented across the country, announced Union Home Minister Amit Shah while addressing the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (November 20).

Shah asserted that no one, irrespective of what religion he or she follows should be worried about NRC, as it is just a process of getting everyone under the registry.

HM Amit Shah: Hindu, Buddhist,Sikh,Jain, Christian, Parsi refugees should get citizenship,that is why Citizenship Amendment Bill is needed so that these refugees who are being discriminated on basis of religion in Pakistan,Bangladesh or Afghanistan, get Indian citizenship pic.twitter.com/5Bu56ZRxOQ

— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2019

In Assam, the final NRC list has left out over 19 lakh people of the state. NRC was implemented in the state to identify illegal immigrants, mostly from neighbouring Bangladesh, who had settled there after March 25, 1971 and deport them.

Shah said that people whose names are missing from the NRC list can approach tribunals  formed at the tehsil level. “Assam government will foot the expenses of people who can’t afford a legal counsel,” he added.

Earlier, Shah had said that the NRC was a matter of national security and “no country can run smoothly under the weight of so many intruders”.

Shah also took questions regarding the ongoing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, whose special status was revoked in August. “The situation there was always normal. There were many notions spread all over the world. There is total normalcy prevailing,” he claimed.

(With inputs from agencies)