NCR update: Cops intensify campaign

Guwahati: With the direction of the Supreme Court to publish the draft of the updated National Register of Citizens, the Assam police has intensified its drive to flush out potential trouble mongers.

Informing that the Assam government is going to request home ministry to send more forces to deal with any eventual law and order situation, security sources said that all the district administrations have been asked to make a thorough assessment of the ground situation in the wake of publication of the draft NRC.

Pointing out that police have been asked to keep a close watch on social media also, security sources said that the police has been asked to identify the troublemakers in every police station area.

The police have been asked to keep close watch on such elements, in their respective localities, security sources said adding that some organisations and individuals are still trying to create confusion among the people about the NRC.

Asserting that office of NRC coordinators has launched a massive campaign to keep people away from misgiving and false propaganda, security sources said that some political forces are also sponsoring and backing these rumour-mongers.

Indicating that the police has been asked to take strict measures against such individuals and organisations, security sources, however, said that apex court’s order to publish the draft NRC in two phases would certainly ease out the problem of law enforcing agencies to a large extent.

Meanwhile, the final phase of verification of the documents submitted by the applicants has started.

Informing that adequate number of security forces have been deployed as final verification is being done through house-to-house verification in some cases, security sources said that home ministry has already deployed 50 companies of paramilitary forces.

The NRC coordinator’s office has also brought out leaflets in Assamese, Bengali and English which are being distributed among the people in addition to launching a media campaign to remove apprehensions from the people’s minds.

In the leaflets, NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela has appealed to all sections of people not to pay heed to any rumour or misinformation campaign by mischievous elements while asserting that the names of all genuine Indian citizens would be included in the NRC without fail. He said the process of updating the NRC is being carried out under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 2003.

The entire process is being monitored by the Supreme Court and carried out in most transparent manner, the leaflet said adding that the NRC is updated as per the provisions of the Assam Accord, the midnight of March 24, 1971 is the cut-off date.

The NRC state coordinator has also made it clear that the NRC would only contain the names of Indian citizens and there would be no categorisation of original inhabitants or otherwise in the draft or the final NRC.