FIRs against NRC coordinator for 'exclusion' of names

FIRs have been lodged against Assam coordinator of National Register of Citizens (NRC) Prateek Hajela for "intentionally excluding" people from the final NRC list published on August 31.

The Assam government had published the final list of NRC on August 31. The list excluded names of over 19 lakh people from different religions, linguistic and ethnic affiliations, triggering large-scale unhappiness over the document.

While one FIR was lodged against Hajela in Guwahati by All Assam Goria Moria Yuva Chatra Parishad, which represents some indigenous Muslims of Assam, the other FIR was lodged by an individual in Dibrugarh district.

"The FIR was lodged against Hajela for intentionally excluding the names of genuine Indian citizens from the NRC," a police officer of Latasil police station in Guwahati, where one of the FIRs was lodged against Hajela, said on Wednesday.

"The whole process of updating the NRC is a waste of time and money. Names of genuine Indian citizens were left out. There are examples of inclusion of names of sons and daughters but not the father, whose legacy had been used by the wards," said a member of the All Assam Goria Moria Yuva Chatra Parishad.

"The developments have led us to believe that there is intentional exclusion of names. We also demand an inquiry into the whole issue and demand a reverification of the NRC," he said, adding the NRC should have included the names of at least the original inhabitants of the state.

It may be mentioned here that several organiSations as well as the individuals have expressed unhappiness over the NRC.

While the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) has vowed to approach the Supreme Court seeking remedy for this, the ruling BJP has also expressed its unhappiness over the issue saying that the NRC had included names of foreigners and excluded names of genuine Indian citizens.

Ally of the BJP-led government in Assam, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), also expressed unhappiness over the NRC and demanded a re-verification of the documents submitted by the people during the NRC updation process.IANS