Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) and Rajya Sabha MP Ranjan Gogoi said that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a 'game' played by political parties. Gogoi made the remark on Thursday at the India Today Conclave East, 2021 in Kolkata. He claimed that all political parties make use of the NRC issue for their benefit.
Meanwhile, Gogoi while speaking on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which got mixed with the NRC for Assam, said that as far as the CAA is concerned, Parliament in its wisdom has passed it and the people of Assam, my state are agitated about it. "It has given rise to serious concerns in the minds of people because it is being seen as a threat to the existence of Assamese people," said Gogoi.
He said that the issue needs to be handled with care adding that the 13 km area also known as the "chicken's neck" which connects the rest of India with the North-East makes the entire region very vulnerable.
While responding to a question whether CAA has stirred an existential crisis, Gogoi said that CAA has been enacted as law no matter how much you feel that it is not necessary is not going to help things, the only way one can get rid of the law is by repeal or a court declaration that it is invalid.
Coming back to NRC, the former CJI stated, ""There is a book in Assam called, 'Game called NRC'. The NRC is a big game between politicians. Neither the Congress nor the BJP wants NRC. The court can only do so much and it has done that. The NRC is a vision document. It is a document for the future," Gogoi said.
Explaining his point of view over the National Register for Citizens (NRC), Ranjan Gogoi said, "The NRC is a game. The illegal immigrants are told by one party that we will protect you if you vote for us and the other political party tells indigenous people that migrants are the biggest threat to you and we will expel them."
"This has been going on in Assam for 50 years," Gogoi said at the India Today Conclave East 2021.
Quoting a news report, Ranjan Gogoi said Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said NRC would be implemented after the state elections. "We have given you foolproof NRC. What is wrong with this NRC? Implement it."
