A chest-thumping Amit Shah says no-one dared to implement NRC
BJP President Amit Shah spoke on the Assam NRC issue in the Rajya Sabha today and said only this government had the courage to implement it. The NRC list was published on Monday, and the omission of 40 lakh names has sparked an outrage. The Opposition was quick to target the Centre over the way it was implemented, though the latter has maintained that it is not the final draft.
Rajiv Gandhi signed the accord, Shah tells in Rajya Sabha
Shah told Opposition, and mainly Congress, that it was former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who signed the 1985 Assam Accord, to seed out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from the state. Shah said the NRC was in lines with the accord signed. "He (Rajiv Gandhi) did not have the courage. We have the courage and we are doing it", said Shah thumping his chest.
Here is Shah's speech in the Rajya Sabha
Shah's comments ruffle Opposition's feathers, Naidu shouts amid roaring protests
Soon after Shah's comment, the Opposition rose in protest and approached the well of the House. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi said NRC was a humanitarian issue, not a Hindu-Muslim one. The protests were so loud that Vice President Venkaiah Naidu had to shout to ask the members to keep quiet. He told the nation was watching and members shouldn't make a mockery of democracy.
Later in press-conference, Shah asks Congress, TMC to come clean
After the speech, Shah addressed a press conference and further attacked the Opposition. He said no other parties except BJP and BJD spoke about the need to crackdown illegal immigrants and asked Congress and TMC to make their stand clear. Shah said NRC ensured human rights of Indians. He went on to say the draft was not final and 40 lakh wasn't the final number.
It's BJP vs TMC and Congress on Assam NRC row
On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee advised BJP against playing with fire and asked what will happen to the 40 lakh people. She said the BJP was making Indians refugees in their own country and didn't rule the idea of welcoming them to Bengal. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi criticized the BJP for the tardy implementation of NRC, a sensitive matter.
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