The ruckus in the Rajya Sabha over Assam’s National Register of Citizens seems to have ended on Friday after a reply by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Chairman of the Rajya Sabha M Venkaiah Naidu allowed members from both sides to ask clarifications to Singh’s statement on the issue, an indication that elders may not press for a further debate on the matter next week in the House.
Singh told the Upper House that the process of NRC was objective and no Indian citizen will be left out from the register. “The whole process (adopted for NRC) is fair and objective. There has not been any discrimination. I want to assure that there will not be any discrimination in future as well. It is not fair if someone makes such allegations,” Singh said.
He said an atmosphere of fear has been created on the issue and it was unfortunate. “Some confusion has been created through some people. Propaganda has been carried out through vested interest on social media to internationalise the issue and disturb the communal harmony,” he said. “Certain people are trying to create communal disharmony and this should not be done.”
‘SC is monitoring’
He reiterated that it is not the final NRC. “The process has been done under the observation of the Supreme Court,” he said.
The issue was taken up in the Lok Sabha too. Singh said there that Trinamool Congress MPs created an “unruly situation” at the Silchar airport and said they were detained following a report by the intelligence that their presence could create a law and order situation. “The Assam government had some information and based on intelligence inputs... In view of the prevailing law and order situation and to ensure the situation does not deteriorate, TMC MPs were detained at the Silchar airport,” Singh said.
Trinamool’s member Kalyan Banerjee raised the issue in the Lok Sabha and said six MPs were manhandled just for visiting Assam to assess a situation. “Is this not undeclared Emergency in the country? During the Emergency also people had freedom of movement. Election is coming. Everyone is preparing for that. Are you nervous because of the unity of Opposition?” he asked.
Singh replied: “The kind of respect that should be shown to a public representative, similar respect was shown to TMC MPs. With folded hands the District Magistrate requested them to return. But without paying heed to the request, the MPs got into shoving in which two women security personnel also got hurt.”
In the Rajya Sabha, Trinamool’s leader Derek O’Brien maintained that the matter was not just limited to Assam but was a national issue. “What is the real voice of the government? What Home Minister says here or what BJP President says outside? We need to know the real voice. We are hearing two voices,” he said.