Trinamool terms it a conspiracy

There is a conspiracy to drive out Bangla-speaking population from Assam, opposition lawmakers alleged in Indian parliament yesterday against the backdrop of fresh verification of citizenship in the country's northeastern state.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, however, dismissed the allegation as "baseless".

Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy raised the issue in Lok Sabha, pointing out that names of 1.3 crore people out of 3.29 crore population of Assam had not appeared in the first draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC), which aims at identifying illegal immigrants.

"We fear this is a conspiracy to drive out Bengali-speaking people from Assam. We want that they should be allowed to stay in Assam. They are normal citizens," Roy said, drawing strong support from his party's other MPs and some members of Congress and Left parties.

Roy said the Bangla-speaking people staying in Assam for generations must be allowed to live there. “The West Bengal chief minister [Mamata Banerjee] has already mentioned that this is a conspiracy.

"The Assam chief minister is saying they do not have rights in Assam. This is a very serious matter.”  

Outside parliament, Trinamool Congress lawmakers, carrying placards,  staged a demonstration against the exclusion of Bangla-speaking people in Assam from the NRC.

Responding to the opposition's allegation, the Indian home minister said the citizenship verification exercise was going on under the supervision of the Supreme Court and there was no need for anyone to feel concerned.

"Those whose names have been left out can approach a tribunal. It is a baseless allegation that some people are being driven out," Rajnath said.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had yesterday said all those excluded in the first NRC draft should not worry as no one would be discriminated against on the basis of caste or community and given opportunities to prove their citizenship.

Sonowal also said a mechanism has to be devised "humanely" by the Indian government on what to do with those found to be illegal immigrants after finalisation of the NRC, a list of the state's citizens.

Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP had made identification of illegal immigrants in Assam allegedly from Bangladesh, an overwhelming number of whom are Muslims, its key poll plank during the Assam assembly polls in 2016 that brought the party to power in the state for the first time.

Opposition parties have claimed that the exercise has harassed many genuine citizens as well.