NRC: Tarun Gogoi slams it as 'waste paper' while party MP says 'historic' document

Disparity raised in the Congress' Assam unit over the matter of NRC which has come into light with former CM Tarun Gogoi described the NRC as a waste paper, Abdul Khaleque, a Congress MP described it as a historic scientific document. Meanwhile, Gogoi empathised with those who were excluded from the NRC.

Guwahati(Assam): Disparity raised in the Congress' Assam unit over the final National Register of Citizens (NRC), with former Chief Minister (CM) Tarun Gogoi describing it a "waste paper" and a Lok Sabha MP terming it a "historic scientific document".

The final list of the National Register of Citizens was published on Saturday and, according to it, out of the total 3.3 crore applicants, 3.11 crore figured in the list and about 19 lakh people were excluded.

"I have been saying for long that the NRC would be a waste paper. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi had said that Tarun Gogoi rolled out a red carpet for the foreigners. But, instead of throwing the illegal immigrants out, he (Modi) was not able to prepare the NRC properly. We are with those all Indians who were excluded from the NRC," Gogoi said in a tweet.

Congress MP from Barpeta, Abdul Khaleque, however, described the NRC, which validates bonafide Indian citizens of Assam, as a "milestone" and a "historic scientific document".

"Although a lot of names drop from final NRC, it's a historic scientific document prepared by the Government of Assam and the Government of India under the supervision of Hon'ble Supreme Court (SC) of India. No doubt, it's a milestone (sic)," Khaleque tweeted.

The former Chief Minister's son and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi said that it was due to the "carelessness" of state authorities that a genuine Indian citizen who has been excluded from the NRC, will now have to go to the court.

He further said the Assam BJP reassured the people by saying that the excluded persons need not to panic because they can approach a tribunal court.

"Question is why should a genuine Indian need to go to the court to prove his or her citizenship when it's not his or her mistake," said Gogoi.