IT News
Imphal, April 4:
Responding to Chief Minister Biren’s statement that National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be soon implemented, Congress party clarified the party’s position on NRC that their opposition is to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which they perceive as communal legislation rather than the NRC per se.
Working President of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Kh Devabarta said, “Rahul Gandhi articulated this perspective by accusing the BJP of exploiting the citizenship act for communal gains.”
Devabratta hinted that if the CAA were implemented in a secular manner, devoid of any communal biases, the Congress would not inherently oppose it. “This demonstrates the party’s adherence to the rule of law and its willingness to comply with legislation enacted by parliament, including the NRC and CAA,” Devabarta added.
Chief Minister Biren’s assertion that the NRC will soon be enforced in Manipur lacks substantiation, as there is no official documentation supporting this claim. Devabratta said that no discussions regarding the NRC have taken place during state assembly sessions. Moreover, presenting the implementation of the NRC as the exclusive initiative of one political party overlooks the institutional framework established under the Constitution. Such statements are geared towards political gain in upcoming elections, disregarding the complexities involved, the MPCC leader told media persons at Congress Bhavan today.
The state indeed possesses the authority to identify and report individuals who have entered illegally, with provisions outlined in the Foreigners Act and Passport Act. However, “the government’s failure to invest in infrastructure and tribunal appointments hampers effective execution of these measures. Instead of addressing these fundamental shortcomings, efforts have been diverted towards investigating allegations of large-scale migration from Myanmar to Manipur, exemplified by the appointment of Letpao Haokip to represent the cabinet in this matter” he added.
Thus far, the NRC has primarily been implemented in Assam. For the NRC to be enforced in Manipur, a gazette notification is imperative. “Despite the Chief Minister’s assurances of imminent implementation, the absence of official documentation, cabinet decisions, or communications from the central government’s Home Ministry raises doubts” according to Congress. Transparency and clarity from relevant authorities are necessary to dispel uncertainties surrounding the potential implementation of the NRC in Manipur.