NRC objective rendered futile, alleges Gogoi

Guwahati: Veteran Congressman and former Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi has alleged that the objective of the NRC, which was to identify both Indian citizens and “foreigners”, has been rendered futile because even after release of the final list, the number of “foreigners” among the excluded people could not be arrived at. “I had said that the NRC would end up being a waste paper and my prediction has come true. I would like to ask the authorities here that on what basis were the 19, 06,657 excluded from the final list appeal before the foreigners’ tribunals when they have not been declared foreigners,” Gogoi asked.
“They have to be declared foreigners first for them to file appeals in the foreigners’ tribunals. The futility of the exercise also proves that the Centre and the state government want to keep the issue alive,” Gogoi alleged.
He further said the Centre needed to clear the air on whether one should go by the Election Commission of India or by the NRC.
“How can the NRC exclude a person who has been registered with the ECI as a voter? The central government needs the clear this ambiguity,” Gogoi said.