New Delhi: The ministry of home affairs has strongly rebutted West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s charge that internet connectivity was snapped in Assam post the declaration of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Monday.
Calling the situation in the state peaceful, the ministry said the issue should not be politicised. “We spoke to the DGP and chief secretary of Assam and both officials clarified that no order had been given to snap connectivity,” a top MHA official told CNN News18.
The officer claimed that the situation in Assam was peaceful at the moment, with people making their way to NRC centres to check their names in the draft list.
Responding to the Opposition's allegations that religious and linguistic minorities were being targeted through the NRC, officials said it was wrong to allege political interference.
“The entire NRC process is being monitored by the Supreme Court. The governments of India and Assam have no role to play in this,” the official said. Home minister Rajnath Singh also defended the government in Lok Sabha and said, “It is a Supreme Court-monitored probe. You tell me the role of the government in this.”
The ministry clarified that the 40 lakh people whose names were missing from the draft NRC should not worry as it did not mean they had been declared foreigners. “Only the foreigners' tribunal can declare anyone a foreigner. The NRC or the government cannot do so,” an MHA official told CNN News18.
The ministry also indicated that the September 28 deadline for people to file their claims and objections could be extended by another month depending on the situation on ground.
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