Assam: The Assam government’s decision to make the National Register of Citizens (NRC) application a mandatory pre-condition for obtaining an Aadhaar card has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress. Leaders from both parties condemned the move, accusing the BJP-led government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of turning Assam into a “banana republic.”
Announced on Wednesday, the controversial policy requires Aadhaar applicants to provide proof of having applied for the NRC, a decision aimed at curbing alleged infiltration from Bangladesh. Justifying the measure, Sarma stated that it was necessary to prevent fake beneficiaries from exploiting government schemes, pointing to earlier cases of misuse under programs like PM Kisan.
Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, criticized the move on social media, accusing the BJP government of diverting public funds into party coffers while imposing unnecessary restrictions on citizens. Gogoi highlighted the financial burden on taxpayers in Assam, who, he said, were paying various taxes only to face exclusionary policies.
Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev also questioned the legality of the decision, noting that the NRC has not been officially notified by the Registrar General of India since its final release in August 2019. Dev argued that denying Aadhaar based on NRC status undermines legal provisions, as even non-citizens are eligible for Aadhaar if they meet residency criteria. She further questioned how the government could refuse Aadhaar without first officially declaring individuals as illegal migrants.
The policy, which has not explicitly linked NRC with Aadhaar but effectively makes NRC a prerequisite for Aadhaar applications, has sparked concerns about its potential to exclude vulnerable populations. According to the Standard Operating Procedure approved by the Assam Cabinet, document verification for Aadhaar applications will now take 45 days before submission to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The NRC, a contentious document released in 2019, excluded over 19 lakh applicants while including 3.11 crore names. However, its lack of notification by the Registrar General of India has left it without official validity, raising questions about its use as a basis for Aadhaar registration. Critics argue that this decision not only complicates the process for applicants but also risks disenfranchising large sections of Assam’s population.
As the debate intensifies, opposition parties continue to question the government’s intent and highlight the policy’s implications, which they fear could deepen Assam’s socio-political challenges.
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