No impact on ties

India yesterday asserted that it did not apprehend any impact on its ties with Bangladesh due to the issue of National Register of Citizens in Assam.

Asked if the NRC issue would come up during talks between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit to be held in Kathmandu on August 31, the official spokesman of the Indian External Affairs Ministry Raveesh Kumar told media persons here that "it is a speculative question."

Four separate questions were posed, two of them by Indian representatives of Bangladeshi newspapers, to Kumar on the NRC issue.

Replying to them, the spokesman said "let me make it very clear at the beginning that let us not speculate too much on this issue."

Answering another question if India has been in contact with Bangladesh on the NRC issue, Kumar said "We have been in very close touch with the government of Bangladesh both prior to and following the issuance of the draft NRC and at all points we have repeatedly assured the government of Bangladesh that it is still a draft NRC prepared under the order of the Supreme Court and that the process of identification of the citizens of Assam is still on."

He said Bangladesh government has taken the view that the process is an internal issue of India.

"We do not apprehend impact on our ties with Bangladesh which remain excellent," said Kumar.

Asked if the NRC issue would figure in Modi-Hasina talks on the margins of the coming BIMSTEC Summit in the Nepalese capital, the MEA spokesman said "it is a speculative question. Let them first announce the Summit, then we will confirm as to who is going there and then come down to the question of bilateral meeting and what all will be discussed."