Centre, Assam told to respond on NRC report

New Delhi, October 23 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre and Assam to respond by October 30 to a report filed by NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela on why five additional documents should not be allowed to be relied upon for claims for inclusion in the Draft NRC. 

A Bench asked Hajela to give a presentation to all stakeholders on his report on October 26 and fixed November 1 for a full-day hearing.

During the hearing, Attorney General KK Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta tried to impress upon the court to allow ration card, citizenship certificate, refugee registration certificate, NRC, 1951, Electoral Roll up to March 24, 1971, and certified copies of pre-1971 Electoral Roll to be used for filing of claims.  “Behave like a State and not an individual,” the Bench told the Centre and Assam Government. — TNS