Nationwide NRC in pipeline after CAA, says BJP booklet

Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP top brass categorically saying that nationwide NRC has not been discussed by the Centre, the West Bengal BJP in its booklet claimed that after implementation of the CAA, the register of citizens will be in the pipeline.

The 23-page booklet in English, Hindi and Bengali, published as part of BJP's statewide campaign in favour of the amended Citizenship Act, states that the Centre is intending to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the country.

The CAA has been simplified in a question and answer format to allay people's fears on the law, party sources said.

A question in the booklet read, "Will there be NRC after this? How much is it needed? And if there is NRC, will Hindus have to go to detention centres like in Assam?"

The answer to the question said, "Yes, there will be NRC after this. At least, that is the intention of the central government."

The booklet claimed Hindus have been sent to detention centres not due to NRC but because of Foreigners Act.

"The NRC is Assam took place as per orders of the Supreme court and the Foreigners Act was passed by the Congress government. The BJP government is Assam did not bring the NRC. Rather, it has decided to move court against the NRC," the booklet said.

It said the Hindus lodged in detention centres in Assam would be released after the CAA is implemented.

"It is heard that there are around two crore infiltrators in Assam and West Bengal. It is needed to enlist these infiltrators as D-voters. This only speaks volumes about the problem of infiltration in the country. That is why countrywide NRC is needed," the booklet said.

Reacting to BJP's claims on NRC in the booklet, the Trinamool Congress leadership said, "truth has come out".

"The cat is now out of the bag. The truth of BJP has come out. We have been saying that the Prime Minister and the union ministers have been trying to confuse the people by making contradictory statements on NRC.

"The people of this state and the country will give them a befitting reply," TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said.