Assam CM warns against provocative statements on NRC

Guwahati, Aug 1 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday urged people not to harbour any apprehensions regarding the updation process of the NRC and said "outsiders making provocative statements about NRC will not be accepted".

He also reiterated that genuine Indians whose names have not been included in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) would be provided ample opportunities to get themselves registered in the NRC through claims and objections.

Amid the hue and cry made by the Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the BJP-led Assam government has decided to closely monitor the proposed visit of the Trinamool delegation to Assam on Thursday even as several organisations filed complaints against Banerjee for making provocative statements over the NRC updation.

A delegation of TMC including party Lok Sabha MP and legislators is scheduled to arrive in Silchar in Assam's Barak Valley on Thursday. 

The delegation is likely to interact with people and organisations. The delegation will also visit Guwahati on Friday before returning to Kolkata on Friday.

"Outsiders making provocative statements about NRC will not be accepted and the people of Assam have shown tremendous political maturity which has made the publication of complete draft NRC possible," Sonowal said.

Sonowal also cautioned against getting swayed by the efforts of the divisive forces, which are trying to create a rift between people of different religions, languages and communities and appealed the people of the state to maintain the age old spirit of harmonious coexistence.

The Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), one of the prominent students' bodies of Assam on Wednesday filed an FIR at the Lakhimpur police station against the West Bengal Chief Minister for making 'provocative' statements.

"The people of the state have understood the process and that is why there is no protests anywhere against the NRC despite 40 lakh people remained out of NRC," said Ramendra Narayan Kalita, a legislator of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a partner of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led alliance in Assam.

"There is no problem in the visit of Trinamool Congress delegation to Assam. However, the government must take action if someone tries to aggravate the situation by making inflammatory statements," he added.