Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has alluded to possibility of conducting National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in his state, depending on need of hour. He lauded implementation of NRC in Assam. Speaking to an English daily, he asserted that NRC was a bold and important step. According to him, it was being implemented phase-wise and Assam experience would serve as a good example for UP. Maintaining that NRC was important for national security, he opined that suffering of poor, affected by illegal immigration would come to an end. 

Read: Mamata Banerjee Commences Anti-NRC Rally, Opposes NRC In West Bengal

About  NRC

Initially published in 1951, NRC was specifically demanded in Assam by All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) due to centuries-old illegal migration of people. ill-treatment of people in East Pakistan and subsequent war in 1971 exacerbated situation as thousands of persons from that region entered Assam. Assam Accord signed by Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 principally agreed to AASU’s demand. However, it took decades before process commenced, after direction of Supreme Court. cut-off date for inclusion in final NRC list has been fixed as March 24, 1971. Assam’s final list of NRC was released on August 31, leaving out 19,06,657 people. Overall, 3,11,21,004 people were found eligible for inclusion in NRC list. According to 2011 census, total population of Assam is over 3.11 crore. 

Read: NRC Debate: 'Will Identify And Deport Infiltrators From Every Inch Of Country,' Says Home Minister Amit Shah In Warning Over Illegal Immigrants In Parliament

polarized political discourse

While local state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) including state president Ranjeet Dass and state Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have expressed ir displeasure with NRC process, leaders at national level have reacted differently. Haryana CM Mahar Lal Khattar remarked that he would initiate NRC in his state. Interestingly, his predecessor and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda backed Khattar on this occasion. Similarly, president of Delhi's BJP state unit Maj Tiwari demanded implementation of NRC for capital city. On or hand, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen supremo Asaduddin Owaisi have vehemently opposed NRC both in Assam as well as or parts of country. Recently, India's top Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind also spoke in favour of NRC. 

Read: 'Nation-wide NRC Should Be Implemented,' Says Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind

Read: Assam NRC: 10,000 Paramilitary Troops Deployed Pre List w Withdrawn