FMR Assam CM Tarun Gogoi Says NRC Is Full Of Errors

AS  more than 19 lakh  people in Assam are facing uncertainly   about their future, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Ranjan Gogoi, should have not have entrusted so much responsibility with Prateek Hajela for the NRC update exercise. The retiring CJI  should also have relied more on the Registrar General of India (RGI), the  Congress leader said.The final NRC is not error-free  ,he said and alleged that this has come about as the entire responsibility had been entrusted upon Hajela.“The NRC is full of errors. Names of many genuine Indian citizens have been left out. The future of these 19 lakh people excluded from the NRC is totally uncertain now,” Gogoi said. Hajela is a “junior officer”. The apex court should have relied more on the RGI. The three-time Chief Minister said that people of the State expected an error-free NRC as the CJI himself is a native of Assam. Gogoi also questioned the CJI for allowing Hajela to leave the State before ensuring that the “NRC was fully correct”.He said the CJI did not order a review of the NRC after receiving complaints from various political parties and stakeholders. The former Chief Minister had written to Ranjan Gogoi seeking revision of the NRC. The Congress stalwart accused the BJP-led State and the Central governments of not being serious about the NRC exercise. He said that though the State government has appointed a new NRC Coordinator as the replacement for Hajela, the concerned official is yet to formally take charge.“This shows that the government lacks sincerity. Is the Chief Minister even aware about what is going on?” he said. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal seemed to be more interested in organising cultural and religious events. Gogoi alleged that the ruling BJP keen on legislating the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB by Parliament. “That is why Amit Shah has suddenly become silent on the NRC issue,” said the former Chief Minister. The NRC is full of errors. Instead of identifying foreigners, it made Indians as foreigners, who have all the valid documents. The future of these 19 lakh excluded people from NRC is totally uncertain now,” the three-time chief minister said. Hajela, a 1995 batch IAS officer, has been transferred to his home state Madhya Pradesh following a direction of the Supreme Court. He was relieved from the position on November 11. Hejela should not have been fully trusted and given importance, he said adding that he was a “junior officer and incompetent for the work” compared to the registrar general of India. Meanwhile, Congress MP from Barpeta Abdul Khaleque has alleged that the new NRC Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sharma is biased and not trustworthy. In a letter to CM Sonowal, the MP said people of Assam were expecting an unbiased and impartial coordinator after Hejela was removed from the position (with inputs from The Assam Tribune).