A day after publication of Assam NRC final draft and a section of political parties' scathing attacks on the development, BJP national president Amit Shah on Tuesday came in full support of the crucial issue on Tuesday both in and outside of Parliament.
In Rajya Sabha , the BJP national president while participated in a debate on NRC issue said that NRC was 'heart and soul' of Assam Accord , which was signed during the reign of Rajiv Gandhi ( as Prime Minister ) in 1985 but Congress had no guts to implement the most important documents for identity illegal migrants living in Assam.
"This was the Congress PM's initiative. He (Rajiv Gandhi) did not have the courage. We have the courage and we are doing it," Amit Shah informed the House.
The BJP chief Amit Shah said Congress and other political parties who are speaking against it should clear their stand on Bangladeshi infiltrators. "Congress, TMC and other parties who are speaking against NRC should clear their stand on Bangladeshi infiltrators," said Amit Shah.
Sharpy criticising Mamata Banerjee, Shah alleged Trinamool Congress leader is trying to incite the fear of civil war for vote bank politics. "I heard many parties speak in the Rajya Sabha but surprisingly none of them mentioned that this is just a draft list that this is not the final list," Shah added.
Shah clarified that only the names of those excluded from the list who failed to provide proof. "Only the names of those people have been excluded from the list, who have not been able to submit proof of their citizenship," Shah said.
Amit Shah, addressing a press conference after the Rajya Sabha witnessed tumultuous scenes over the Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue, expressed surprise that 'no party mentioned that the list published on Monday is just a draft and not the final list'.
He further added that the 40 lakh people not included in the NRC draft is not the final figure because they can file their objections and cross-verification remains. Dismissing allegations that the names of Indian citizens have also been excluded, he said the only names that have been left out are those who could not prove their citizenship.
Shah hit out at the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other political parties speaking against the NRC for 'not clarifying their stand on Bangladeshi infiltrators'. He said the Congress did not have the courage to oust the infiltrators, but the BJP's priority is to safeguard India's borders. For BJP, NRC is key to security of the country, he added.
(Featured Image – DNA India)