NRC flows from Rajiv's accord: Shah

NEW DELHI: BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday struck a combative note over the attempt to detect alleged Bangladeshis illegally residing in Assam by bringing out the National Register of Citizens, saying the SC-mandated exercise was crucial for national security and asserting that no genuine Indian citizen will be be hurt by it.


Attacking Congress, Trinamool Congress and others which have blamed the updation of NRC on BJP's "communal" politics, Shah said opposition parties have put their "politics of vote-bank" over national interest, and are engaged in fear-mongering to conceal the fact that the entire exercise flowed from the Assam Accord that the Rajiv Gandhi government signed in 1985 with students from Assam and was aimed at identifying aliens staying in the state.

"Congress could not summon the courage to implement the Assam Accord because of its vote-bank politics and because of its indifference towards national security and interests of Indian citizens," Shah told a press conference, adding that identification of foreign infiltrators was a top priority with the BJP government.

He targeted others in the opposition as well, especially West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee who had earlier warned of a civil war and blood bath if the exercise to catalogue Indian citizens in Assam was not aborted. "She should clarify what kind of civil war she is talking about," the BJP chief said.

"It was a painful sight in Rajya Sabha when not a single political party thought it fit to say that infiltrators have no right to stay in India. All political parties should spell out whether they consider infiltrators to be a threat to national security," Shah said.

He was talking to reporters after his comments in Rajya Sabha triggered protests from opposition benches leading to suspension of proceedings.

Shah also made light of the concerns expressed by opponents as well as international NGO, Amnesty International, about the human rights of 40 lakh residents of Assam who have failed to satisfy the authorities about their claim to be citizens of India. "What about the human rights of people of Assam? Should not national resources be utilized for the citizens of the nation?" the BJP chief asked.

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The aggressive pitch marked a change from Monday when Union home minister Rajnath Singh had focused on defending the attempt to identify Indian citizens by emphasizing that it had been mandated by the Supreme Court.

In Rajya Sabha, Shah said NRC emanated from the Assam Accord signed by late Rajiv Gandhi and was its soul. "The NRC is the soul of the Assam Accord which the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had signed and it clearly stipulates that every single illegal immigrant would be identified and his name struck off the voters' list," he said.

Linking the NRC process to BJP's larger articulation of the need to detect and deport illegal immigrants, Shah said the party remains equally concerned over the presence of Rohingyas in the country, which has been seen as a national security issue. People who are not citizens should not access benefits, he said.

Shah said legitimate citizens need to worry and their interests will be safeguarded as he asked the opposition parties to clear their stand. He also underlined that minorities (Hindus and Sikhs) coming from neighbouring countries are refugees and not illegal migrants. BJP has argued that they are driven by threats to their life and faith and not economic compulsions. For them due changes are being made through legislation as the citizenship amendment bill is pending with a Rajya Sabha select committee.