By Abdul Bari Masoud, MuslimMirror.com,
New Delhi: Opposition Congress on Sunday leveled “serious allegation’’ against the Modi Government saying it “deliberately delayed” the publication NRC of Assam for 3 years which left out 4 million people from the final draft. It also demanded the resignation Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal on the issue of NRC and apology from the Modi government.
Addressing media persons here, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on the issue of NRC. Exposing how the Modi Government attempted to stall NRC, he said they dragged the matter for a period of over three years by using the “excuse of violence”.
“The ‘Shah of Lies’ and the ‘Shahenshah of Jumlas’ tried their best to stall NRC,” he added.
Khera recalled the Supreme Court observations which came down heavily on the government for the delay.
“On November 30, 2017 Hon’ble Supreme Court of India came down heavily on the Modi government for its excuses to delay the NRC in Assam. The Attorney General of India gave the excuse of fear of violence.”
“It is the sheer inaction on the part of the executive in dragging the matter for a period of over three years and the absence of any justifiable cause to hold back even a partial publication that has led the court to direct publication of the draft NRC on or before 31st December 2017”, the court observed.
“Learned Attorney General has further submitted that part publication of the draft NRC could result in a law and order situation in as much as a large segment of the people would understand that their name have been excluded from the draft NRC. We do not see how the aforesaid situation can even remotely arise as we have already indicated in the earlier part of the present order that claims of 47 lakh persons and 29 lakh persons are still pending and would be subject to verification and covered by publication of another draft NRC at a subsequent point of time”.
Congress leader said this made it clear on how the Modi government made all attempts to stall the process of NRC.
“The Congress party demands that the Modi government must apologise to the people of Assam for attempting to stall NRC in the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” he said and added that “We demand the resignation of the so called Jan Nayak Shri Sarbanand Sonowal who has no right to be the Chief Minister of a state that his party so shamelessly cheated in the Supreme Court on the issue of NRC.”
On a question related to changing the name of Mughalsarai railway station to Deen Dayal Uphadyay Junction, Khera said that they were claiming since 2014 onwards May 26 to be a “Government of game changers” but this has turned out to be a “Government of name changers only”.
Congress also defended Article 35A which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Khera alleged that the government and ruling BJP have been playing politics on this Article which has been challenged in the Supreme Court and will be heard on Monday.
When asked Congress party’s stand on the Article 35A as the apex court will hear a batch of petitions challenging it; Khera defended it and said “there has been a historical context to Article 35A.
“We are seeing in the larger picture of Article 370 where, the then government comprising of Syama Prasad Mookerjee and other stalwarts, they were the joint architects of Article 370. They had wide consultations and then from then on Article 370 has also evolved to where be it now.”
It is to be mentioned here that mainstream parties as well as separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir have warned the dire consequences of any tinkering with the article.