GUWAHATI: Leader of the Opposition in Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia has drawn the attention of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) authorities in regard to the “abrupt disappearance” of online data from the website of the citizens register.
In a letter to the Assam NRC coordinator, Hitesh Dev Sarma on Tuesday, Saikia requested the NRC authorities to look into the “suspicious development” without delay.
“As you are aware, data pertaining to the NRC, including details regarding those included and excluded from the first final NRC, was made available online in accordance with a directive issued by the Supreme Court vide an order dated August 13, 2019. Subsequently, the relevant data was posted on the NRC website starting September 14, 2019. It is a mystery as to why the online data should vanish all of a sudden, especially as the appeals process has not even started due to the go-slow attitude adopted by the NRC authority,” he stated.
“There is, therefore, ample scope to suspect that the disappearance of online data is a mala fide act. Indeed, the deletion of data from the NRC website at a time when the appeals process is yet is start, is prima facie a deliberate violation of the directive issued by the Supreme Court. This act also violates the rules pertaining to the NRC, which stipulates various processes post publication of the NRC,” Saikia said.
“As such, I request you to look into the matter without delay and kindly apprise me of the reason(s) for this suspicious development,” he added.
The Opposition leader also wrote a similar letter to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, government of India, seeking intervention in the matter.
