NEW DELHI: Less than 100 applications from 3.5 lakh people, who were excluded in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), out of a total 40 lakh, challenging their exclusion from the list, have been received by the authorities, so far.
On Saturday, a high-level meeting, attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Director of Intelligence Bureau Rajiv Jain, discussed the issue of fewer applications challenging the inclusion of the names of suspected illegal immigrants in the NRC.
The Supreme Court has also finalised a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the disposal of claims and objections in the updation of the NRC.
The draft NRC was published on July 30 and included the names of 2.9 crore people, out of a total 3.29 crore applications. Following a directive of the Supreme Court, the process of filing claims and objections to the draft NRC began on September 25 and it will come to an end on December 15.
For the claims and objections process, forms are available in 2,500 ‘Seva Kendras’ in Assam, where people can file their appeal in their respective areas. People can file corrections to their names that are in the draft and also raise objections against ‘suspected foreigners’.
The NRC draft raised a storm of protest from the opposition camps, even as the Assam government and the Centre were determined to push through with it. Top leaders of the ruling party, including national president Amit Shah, backed the move.