Despite political war over Assam NRC, call for similar survey across nation grow

Several BJP leaders have called for an Assam NRC-like survey across the nation.

NEW DELHI: Despite a bitter war of words between the ruling BJP and Opposition parties over the controversial Assam National Register of Citizen (NRC) draft, there is a growing demand for a similar survey across the nation.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari is among those who have demanded an Assam-like NRC survey in the state of India. Tiwari had urged the Union Home Ministry to conduct a similar survey in New Delhi citing an increase in the number of Rohingyas.

In a letter addressed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Tiwari said, "Please conduct a survey in Delhi too (like NRC) as a large number of Rohingyas and foreign intruders are residing in Delhi and many of them have also attained Aadhaar and ration cards."

The BJP Delhi chief also took to Twitter to press for his demand and action against the alleged infiltrators residing in the national capital.

"At different places in Delhi, Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living in an illegal manner should be identified and action should be taken against them," Tiwari tweeted.

Tiwari is not the only one to have made such demand.

Raj Purohit, a BJP MLA from Maharashtra, has also made a similar demand.

"If NRC can be implemented in Assam than NRC should be implemented in Mumbai and across the country. So I have written to District collector Mumbai, ACS Home, CP Mumbai, State EC to implement NRC and identify the Bangladeshis in Colaba and Mumbai," Purohit said.

However, clarifying on the issue, the BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said that the NRC draft is restricted to the state of Assam only.

Madhav's statement came after Naresh Agarwal, who recently joined the BJP, demanded that it should be extended to all states because 'illegal Bangaldeshi migrants' are living in many parts of the country.

It is to be noted that the publication of the NRC draft relating to Assam has triggered a bitter war of words with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several Opposition parties attacking the ruling BJP and accused it of doing vote bank politics.

Mamata even said that the NRC issue will lead to a civil war – a remark which was severely criticised by the BJP and even the Congress.

The TMC leader had on Tuesday warned that the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the NRC in Assam would lead to a “civil war”.

Speaking at a Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India conclave on ‘Love Your Neighbour’, Banerjee said, “You cannot just drive away people who have been staying here for 100, 200, 30 years… I am shocked to see how Indians became foreigners… shocked to see that even relatives of former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed have not made it to the NRC.”

However, sharpening her attack again on the ruling BJP at the Centre, the West Bengal leader on Wednesday accused the saffron party of playing vote-bank politics, while also warning that the issue will "destroy" India's relationship with Bangladesh.

She said only one percent of the 40 lakh residents, whose names are missing from the draft NRC, could be infiltrators, but people are being "harassed" in the name of infiltrators.

Banerjee said that she has appealed to all opposition parties to send their delegation to Assam. The TMC chief said that she has also urged former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha to visit the state.

She claimed that India has very good relations with Bangladesh, but the NRC issue threatens to spoil that.

"The NRC will destroy the relationship between India and Bangladesh. Out of 40 lakh people whose names are not in the list of NRC, only one per cent could be illegal infiltrators. But the BJP is trying to show that all those not included (in NRC) are infiltrators," she told reporters at the Parliament.

A case against the Trinamool Congress chief was also filed with police in Assam's North Lakhimpur by the Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha activists in connection with her alleged provocative remarks on the Assam NRC draft.

The first NRC draft was published on December 31, 2017, and names of 1.9 crore people of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated.

The second list, released on July 30, left out nearly 40 lakh people, incorporating names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants.

(With Agency inputs)