Amit Shah to address seminar on NRC in first post-polls Kolkata visit

All eyes are on Union Home minister Amit Shah's scheduled seminar on contentious National Register of Citizens and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 slated to be held on Tuesday in Kolkata. Shah, who is also BJP president, will visit city on October 1 and inaugurate a community Durga Puja besides dressing seminar, party sources said on Monday.

First visit to Bengal after being appointed Home Minister

This will be Shah's first visit to West Bengal since he assumed office of union home minister earlier this year. seminar assumes importance as it is being held at a time when re have been 11 deaths in state allegedly due to panic over implementation of NRC in West Bengal.

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Hundreds of people are seen lining up at government and municipal offices in city and across state to collect ir birth certificates and necessary documents to be in reiness should NRC be implemented in state. Shah h repeatedly said that NRC exercise will be conducted across country and Mamata Banerjee-heed TMC government in West Bengal h avowed that NRC exercise will t be allowed in state.

Shah to dress TMC allegations

According to state BJP sources, Shah's seminar is of immense importance as he likely to dress all allegations by TMC and "misconceptions" created by it over NRC. " TMC has deliberately tried to create a panic in state over NRC. So Amit Shahji will give us a clear picture over issue and dispel all fears and misconceptions," a senior state BJP leer said.

In Assam, only state in country where exercise was carried out to update NRC, names of over 19 lakh people were omitted from final list which was published on 31 August. Of m about 12 lakh are Hindus. NRC was one of provisions of Assam Accord of 1985 and was carried out under supervision of Supreme Court.

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omission of a large number of Hindu Bengalis from final NRC list in BJP-ruled Assam has apparently created panic among people and has allegedly led to eleven deaths in state so far. " TMC has been opposing NRC to protect Bangleshi Muslim infiltrators who are its vote bank in West Bengal. But after many Hindus were omitted from NRC final list in Assam, it is trying to project us as anti-Hindu and an anti-refugee party. This might take a toll on our prospects in Bengal," said a senior state BJP leer, who did t wish to be named.

TMC has been against updation of NRC calling it an "anti-Bengali" move by BJP. Meanwhile, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee, has demanded that Shah and BJP leership clarify exclusion of a large number of Hindus in final NRC list in Assam. "BJP has been speaking on implementation of NRC to throw out infiltrators. It should first clarify why such a large number of Hindus were omitted from NRC list in Assam. Are those Hindus who were omitted from (NRC) list, infiltrators? BJP should clarify," he said.

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Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 provides for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Banglesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India inste of 12 years, which is current rm, even if y do t possess any document. legislation was passed by Lok Sabha during its winter session on 8 January but could t be cleared by upper house.

Some senior BJP leers have said that Bill would be reintroduced in winter session of Parliament. Banerjee, who h met Shah earlier this month in national capital over matter, has been building strong public opinion against NRC exercise. TMC supremo h led a rally against NRC on September 12 in city.

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West Bengal Assembly h in August passed a resolution against NRC and Banerjee h vowed t to allow its implementation in Bengal.