Assam CM orders action against Aadhaar cardholders not listed in NRC

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday announced a stringent crackdown on Aadhaar cardholders who are not listed in, or did not apply for inclusion in, the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Chief Minister made the announcement during a panchayat poll campaign in Azara, near Guwahati, on Sunday.

Addressing the media persons, Chief Minister Sarma stated that the state government is intensifying its efforts to combat illegal immigration in Assam.

"Within a few days, we will also start a drive against people who have obtained Aadhaar cards and are living in Assam without having applied for the NRC," the Chief Minister declared.

Notably, Assam undertook the exercise to update the 1951 NRC after issuing a notification in December 2013, spending an estimated Rs 1,600 crore. In August 2019, officials published the complete draft of the updated citizens' list, excluding 19.06 lakh out of around 3.3 crore applicants due to a lack of proper documents.

The NRC process faced delays after the BJP-led government demanded re-verification, alleging the inclusion of non-citizens with fraudulent documents. Corruption allegations also plagued some officials involved in the process.

Moreover, in December 2024, the Assam Cabinet decided to reject Aadhaar applications from individuals who did not apply for NRC inclusion, citing infiltration from politically unstable Bangladesh.