Welcoming the first draft list of National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam, the Congress said it will ensure that the entire process of verification of citizens is carried out with complete integrity, transparency and accountability.

As many as 68.27 lakh families, comprising of 3.29 crore applicants, had submitted 6.5 crore documents in support of their citizenship claim in the State. The first draft list comprises of 1.9 crore persons.

The Congress said the Registrar General of India’s first draft is the follow-up action of the ‘1985 Assam Peace Accord’ signed by then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. The party said the accord ended one of the most violent movements in Assam and culminated in strengthening of democratic process. “This process of identification and inclusion has been carried on since then,” said the Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

The party also said that in 2005, there was a tripartite consensus built between the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the then Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and representatives of All Assam Students Union, to take forward the issue of preparation of National Register of Citizens. “The exercise, that so begun in right earnestness, has been monitored by the Supreme Court of India since December, 2013 and the first draft has consequently been published on 31 December, 2017. The first step in this Herculean task has been possible owing to the commitment of people of Assam to the ‘Accord’. We reiterate that Congress remains committed to every pledge made in the Assam Peace Accord,” the party said.

The party also said that it will leave no stone unturned to ensure that not a single claim of any citizen is left unaddressed and not a single family or a section of people suffers on account of lack of appropriate verification of their documents or claim.

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