80 lakh foreign nationals included in Assam voter list: Ex BJP MLA

Guwahati: The controversy over Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) has resurfaced after former BJP MLA Shiladitya Dev accused the process of being riddled with errors and facilitating the inclusion of foreign nationals in the state’s voter list.

During a media interaction in Guwahati, Dev asserted that the existing voter roll in Assam is “deeply flawed,” claiming that nearly 80 lakh Bangladeshi or East Pakistani-origin Muslims were wrongly recognised as Indian citizens. He argued that the NRC, finalized in 2019 under the Supreme Court’s direction, failed to fulfill its objective of identifying illegal immigrants.

Dev cited examples like Saifur Rehman Talukdar to question the credibility of the list, alleging that many such names appeared despite doubtful citizenship credentials. “When such entries exist, the authenticity of the NRC itself comes under question,” he remarked.

Advocating for a nationwide NRC, Dev suggested that Assam’s experience should guide future exercises across India. He called for a “fresh, transparent verification system” to ensure accuracy in identifying genuine citizens.

The former legislator also took aim at the state Congress leadership, accusing it of lacking political understanding and seriousness. “The current Congress president treats politics like a child’s game,” Dev said, criticising the party’s stance on citizenship issues.

The 2019 NRC list excluded around 19 lakh applicants from a total of 3.3 crore submissions. Both the State Government and the Centre have raised doubts over its reliability, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma terming the document “faulty” and demanding a complete re-verification.