The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Assam government to submit a report about the 10 percent of people, who were excluded from the recently published draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The bench comprising of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton Fali Nariman directed the state co-ordinator Prateek Hajela to prepare and submit the report on re-verification of those who were not included in the NRC's "sample survey" by September 4.
While making it clear that the report should only be submitted to the court, the bench said it would hear the case again on September 5. "The date for the commencement of receiving claims and objection which at present is August 30, has to be postponed," the court was quoted as saying by IANS.
Further, the top court has raised doubts by highlighting certain contradictions in the Centre's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the filing of claims and objection to the draft of NRC.
A look at earlier judgements
The apex court had clearly stated that authorities cannot take any coercive action against over 4 million people, whose names were not mentioned in the NRC, stating it was merely a draft.
In addition, it had asked the Centre to modify the SOPs and modalities and extending timelines for filing claims and objections, arising after the publication of the draft. Assam NRC coordinator was asked to place district-wise data of population excluded from the NRC draft.
On August 14, the Centre had informed the SC that IDs of 40 lakh people will be created by collecting their biometric details. The government had further observed that those people whose names would be listed on the final list of NRC will be given usual Aadhaar numbers similar to legal residents in the country.
