Addressing the third day of the Winter Session of the Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be implemented nationwide and no person should be afraid regardless of their religion.

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Speaking in the Upper House of the parliament, Shah said that NRC is different from Citizenship Amendment Bill and the two should not be confused. 

"NRC has no such provision which says that no other religion will be taken under NRC. All citizens of India irrespective of religion will figure in the NRC list. The NRC is different from Citizenship Amendment Bill," he said.

He further added that Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Christian, Parsi refugees should get citizenship and that is why Citizenship Amendment Bill is needed so that these refugees who are being discriminated on basis of religion in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan, get Indian citizenship.

On the issue of the names excluded from the final draft of the NRC in Assam, Shah said, "People whose names are not in the NRC have the right to approach the tribunal. Assam government is also ready to foot the expenses of people who can't afford a legal counsel".

The updated final NRC of Assam, which validates bonafide Indian citizens, has left out over 19 lakh applicants.