40 lakh given a chance

India's Supreme Court yesterday ordered resumption of filing of claims and objections by around 40 lakh people who were left out in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam.

A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R F Nariman said the process of receiving claims and objections by the people who have been left out will commence on September 25 and remain open for the next 60 days.

"We are of the view that all that we are required to do at this stage is to open the filing of claims and objections with regard to inclusion in the draft NRC published in July this year," the bench said.

The bench, which has now posted the matter for hearing on October 23, has sought the view of Prateek Hajela, coordinator of Assam NRC, on stance of the central government with regard to applicability and non-applicability of certain documents for inclusion of names in the NRC.

The first draft of the NRC for Assam was published on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 in accordance with the top court's direction. Names of 1.9 crore people out of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated then.

Another contentious issue facing the centre is how to deal with D voters. In 1996, the Election Commission had declared around 1.8 lakh voters as doubtful.

"Some of these people have got favourable orders from courts to prove their citizenship and their applications would be processed," a home ministry officer had told NDTV, adding the figure has crossed 2 lakh in the last 22-odd years.

Assam, which had faced influx of people from Bangladesh since the early 20th century, is the only state having an NRC which was first prepared in 1951.

The latest updation of the list in Assam contains the names of descendants of those whose names were in the 1951 list, or those who were in Assam's Electoral rolls till March 24, 1971.