Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured the people of Assam that no Indian citizen will be left out of the National Register of Citizens of India (NRC).
Addressing a public meeting in Assam’s Silchar, the PM said, “Aapko fir se bharosa deta hoon, koi bhi bharatiya nagrik National Register of Citizens of India (NRC) mein se nahi chootega (I assure you once again that no Indian citizen will be left out of the NRC).”
Congratulating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the PM said that in spite of numerous challenges the state government is leaving no stone unturned to take initiative to a conclusion.
“Constant efforts are being made to ensure that common citizens do not face hassles, everyone is heard,” he said.
“Our govt is also working to get the Citizen Amendment Bill passed in the Parliament,” he added.
The PM told the gathering that his government has decided to constitute a high-level committee for the implementation of clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
“The Central government has decided to implement the clause six of the Assam Accord, which was stuck from the past 30-35 years. Clause 6 assures protection for the identity and culture of Assamese people,” he said.
Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, which was signed on 15 August 1985, states: “Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the culture, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.”
On Wednesday, the Union cabinet approved the setting up a high-level committee for the implementation of clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
According to reports, the move to set up the panel comes in the backdrop of the bill that seeks to amend the Citizenship Act of 1955 to make it easier for non-Muslims from the neighbouring countries to become Indian citizens. Some Assamese groups fear that the move will help fresh migrations of Bangladeshi Hindus to Assam.
Allaying the fears, the PM said that his government will not compromise on security, resources, cultural heritage and sovereignty of the country for votes. “No one should have any doubt about it,” the PM stressed.
At the rally today, the PM said, “Where will the son and daughter who believes in Mother India and is persecuted in any part of the world go to? Will we see the colour of their passport? Is there no relation of the blood?”
He added that his government is committed to ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ while keeping the Assamiya identity intact.
At the BJP’s Vijay Sankalp Samavesh, the PM, who had launched a series of projects in Manipur today, said that his government is working hard to fight corruption and remove intermediaries from the system.