BJP pushing NRC in Tripura, Home minister meets party

Agartala: Responding to the request of the tribal-based opposition of Tripura Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT), Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh has invited the leaders of the party to meet him on October 4 next at North Block for discussion on NRC in Tripura and other issues of tribal development.

INPT president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawal said here today that the party had decided to sit in demonstration program in November in Delhi to press for the demand of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Tripura to identify the illegal migrants, which affecting the socio-economic and cultural fabric of the state.

Besides, the party has also demanded the withdrawal of citizenship amendment bill, empowerment of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC) including the 

provision of direct funding to ADCs and other socio-economic and cultural issues of 

tribal of the state.

Hrangkhawal said Deputy Secretary, MHA (NE-2) informed INPT leadership that union 

home minister would meet them on NRC issue and accordingly, the party in a meeting last 

night decided to send president Hrangkhawal and General Secretary Jagadish Debbarma 

will leave for Delhi tomorrow.

 "We shall try to convince him for action to maintain the demographic profile of the state and 

secure the people of the indigenous people from the infiltrators of Bangladesh. After 

independence there was the huge influx from across the border followed by after creation of 

Bangladesh in 1971 and afterwards also there is the incidence of influx every day because of 

ineffective border management," Hrangkhawal stated.

He mentioned apart from strong vigil along the border, NRC is required to identify the illegal

migrants who settled in Tripura after the cut off date. Unless strong action is taken the indigenous people of the state would be reduced to minority and interest of the tribal population will be at stake, he added.    

The citizenship amendment bill if passed will only encourage infiltration of people from across the border at the cost of the indigenous people. At the same time, INPT considers NRC essential for the entire country; the entire nation should have a clear and official record of citizenship roster; otherwise India will confront a major demographic disaster 

from an imbalance of population, Hrangkhawal said.

Reacting on the stand of BJP-IPFT government in Tripura he said, "We opposed the 

state government's stand on NRC, as it is 'faulty and self-destructive."(UNI)