West Bengal BJP’s ordeal with the issue of National Register for Citizens (NRC) took a turn for the worse after a booklet surfaced in which it was stated that after implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) the Centre has plans to implement NRC for the entire country.
This is the latest in a long list of contradictory statements made by the state BJP leadership on the NRC issue. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had categorically said that since BJP government came to power in 2014 the issue of nationwide NRC was never discussed.
The 23-page booklet seeks to provide a lucid explanation of CAA in a question and answer format along with background information. It poses questions like: “will there be NRC after this (CAA)? How necessary is it? If NRC is held here, will the Hindus of West Bengal go to jail like Assam?” It states that “after this NRC is held, at least that’s the intention of the Centre”.
It comes up with an argument claiming that “11 lakh Hindus in detention camps in Assam” were sent there not because of NRC but under the Foreigners Act.
“The Foreigners Act was introduced by the Congress government and the NRC in Assam was conducted as per an order of the Supreme Court which also monitored it. It was not done by the state government. Moreover, the Assam government has decided to move the court against the NRC,” stated the booklet.
It hoped that those who are currently in detention centres in Assam will be released after “CAB is passed.” There has been no explanation as to why it mentions “CAB” in a booklet which was released on Sunday, days after the Bill was passed in Parliament.
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