SC asks Centre, Assam to file objections to report of state NRC coordinator

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre and the Assam government to file their objections to a report of NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela on use of five documents for verification of citizenship claims of around 40 lakh people who have been left out in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).
A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice R F Nariman considered the report of Hajela whether five documents, which were not allowed so far for considering the citizenship claims, can now be used.
“We are of the view that all the stake holders including the State of Assam and the Union of India should be allowed to file their objections to the stand taken by Hajela in his aforesaid report dated October 4, 2018, a copy whereof would be furnished by the Registry of this court to the following stake-holders in the next two days,” the bench said.
It also granted opportunity to All Assam Students Union, All Assam Minorities Students’ Union, Jamait Ulama -i-Hind, Assam Public Works, Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Progressive), Indigenous Tribal Peoples Federation and Joint Action Committee for Bangali Refugees to file their objections, if any.
The top court also directed Hajela to give a powerpoint presentation of the manner in which he had proceeded in preparation of the manual and the computer family tree for the purposes of deciding on the inclusion of names in the draft NRC.
“The power-point presentation will be given by Hajela to the officials of the government of Assam and the Union of India in the presence of Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General or his authorised representative(s) as may be and also in the presence of one representative of all the other stake-holders,” the court said.
It said that once written objections are received on or before October 30, further orders in the matter will be passed on November 1. (PTI)