Asking the Opposition parties to take a clear stand on the NRC and not indulge in vote bank politics, Shah said NRC will be implemented, "to the last full stop" as the BJP stands for national security and rights of Indians.
No sooner the Opposition tried to corner the BJP government in Rajya Sabha on the contentious NRC issue than BJP president Amit Shah attacked the Opposition for politicising it. The NRC draft in Assam has excluded over 40 lakh citizens in the state triggering fears of many being stateless. Asking the Opposition parties to take a clear stand on the NRC and not indulge in vote bank politics, Shah said NRC will be implemented, "to the last full stop" as the BJP stands for national security and rights of Indians.
He said that the previous Congress governments lacked courage to identify illegal migrants in Assam in accordance with the 1985 accord. Upset Congress and Trinamool Congress leaders rushed to the Well of the House demanding a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi forcing the chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the proceedings for the day.
"NRC was at the heart of the Assam Accord. No Indian citizen should be worried about the NRC. For us, NRC is the key to security of the country," Shah said.
He added that the Congress started the NRC process in 2005. "But you lacked the courage to throw out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants because vote bank was important for you, not national security and rights of citizens," Shah alleged.
Earlier, the Question Hour was suspended to accommodate a discussion on NRC where several leaders from across parties spoke on the issue. Participating in the debate, Shah said that the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had signed the Assam Accord on August 14, 1985 and declared it on August 15. "This was the Congress PM's initiative. He did not have the courage. We have courage and we are doing it," Shah said. "NRC is being conducted on the SC order. There are 40 lakh people (missing in the list) ... Whom do you want to save? You want to save illegal Bangladeshis," the BJP chief said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh who was also present in the House could not speak in the din. After the 10 minute break TMC and Congress members were again in the Well raising slogans "PM jawab do".
The chairman told the members to behave themselves. "Is this democracy? You are supposed to show a dignified behaviour. Rajya Sabha is the House of Elders. Entire country is watching. Don't make a mockery of it," he said.
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