Prabojan Virodhi Manch Convener Upamanyu Hazarika said on Thursday that the state BJP leadership is the main protagonist of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as they seek to apportion the blame to the Supreme Court and NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela.
In terms of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Rules of 2003, Hazarika said that the primary and sole responsibility for updating the NRC rests with the government. He said that as the earlier Congress Government stalled the NRC, the top court on a petition filed by the Assam Public Works (APW) started monitoring the implementation of the NRC, setting timelines and monitoring the progress through virtually monthly hearings.
Hazarika furtherstated that the government including the AASU was represented apart from otherorganizations in the proceedings, who now seek to fasten the blame upon theSupreme Court and Hajela.
Hazarika stated that the NRC process was started five years ago after the Supreme Court rendered its judgment in 2014 and during this course of time, many instances have been reported but the parties were silent at that time and didn't bring it to the court's notice. It was after the publication of the draft NRC on July 31, 2018 that the top court directed for a 10% sample re-verification of August 26, 2018, and Hajela has not complied with the court's order and informed the court that 27% sample re-verification has been carried out which has not been objected by other parties.
Hazarika alsoreiterated that no party has filed or placed any fact before the court duringthe period of 13 months from the publication of the draft NRC to the final listand it is only APW who filed an affidavit which also included a detailedrepresentation by him pointing out glaring discrepancies and fraud in the NRC.
He furtherstated that none has taken the responsibility but they are playing the blamegame and this is the only reason that the Assam Movement has been markedfailure.
