Centre denies ‘bias, injustice’ in NRC process

New Delhi: Slamming the commentaries in foreign media about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as “incorrect”, India on Sunday said that NRC is a “statutory, transparent, legal process” mandated by the Supreme Court and a “non-discriminatory process, which leaves no room for bias and injustice.”
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said the NRC application form does not ask for the religion of the applicant and it is “not an executive-driven process”.
“The process is being monitored by the Supreme Court directly and the government is acting in accordance with the directives issued by the court,” the statement by MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
Giving the background, the statement said that the NRC stems from the Assam Accord of 1985 “with the promise to take care of the interests of the citizens of Assam.”
“NRC aims to give effect to the Assam Accord signed in 1985 between the Government of India, state government of Assam, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gan Sangram Parishad (AAGSP),” the statement said, adding: “The apex court mandated the government to deliver on the commitment in 2013, which led to the process of updating the National Register of Citizens in Assam in 2015.”
It said the apex court had itself set the deadlines for all steps that have been taken so far.
“NRC is a fair process based on scientific methods. Inclusion in the NRC is a unique process, as it is based on ‘application’ rather than ‘house to house enumeration.’
It means that any person in Assam could have sought to be included in the list on the basis of having documentation to prove lineage from an entitled person, i.e. a person who was a resident of Assam as on March 24, 1971.” (IANS)