The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for today. The adjournment was followed by an uproar by the opposition, especially the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party over the publication of Assam’s National Register of Citizens.
The adjournment was carried out in the post-lunch sitting, amid discussion over the Assam NRC issue. Soon after the House met in the post-lunch sitting, the opposition members again raised the issue of NRC. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House for 10 minutes to meet again at 2.11 pm. But, as soon as the House was reconvened, the opposition supposedly made the session disruptive. Naidu then adjourned the House for the day amid the uproar.
No sooner had the House mourned the death of a former member and listed papers presented than Trinamool members led by Derek O’Brien were raising the Assam NRC issue. However, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he had taken the initiative earlier in the day and even called Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the House to respond on the same, but the House was not in order.
“Home Minister came all the way to the House, neither the members were willing to say anything, nor did they allow the House to function,” Naidu said, adjourning the Rajya Sabha for ten minutes.
Assam is the first state of India where the NRC is being updated after 1951. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the list of Indian citizens of Assam. It was prepared in 1951, following the census of 1951. Out of 3.29 crore applicants, 2.89 crores have been found eligible for inclusion in the complete draft of NRC, that was released in Guwahati today. The names of almost 40.07 lakh have been left out.
Questioning the lack of transparency of the NRC process, Mamata Banerjee said, “This is politics ahead of the 2019 elections.” The party chief also added that she would take up the matter with Rajnath Singh when she visits New Delhi.