Need NRC in city: Arvind Sawant

Mumbai: Union minister and Shiv Sena Mumbai South member of Parliament Arvind Sawant on Sunday demanded that National Register of Citizens (NRC) should be implemented in Mumbai on the lines of Assam to solve the issue of illegal Bangladeshis living in the city.

“The NRC was much needed in Assam to solve the problems of the original inhabitants of the region. That is why we supported the NRC move by the government and want a similar exercise to be held in Mumbai to drive out the Bangladeshis living here, once the process is over in Assam,” Mr Sawant said.

The Union minister for heavy industries and public enterprises pointed out that the Shiv Sena had first raised the issue of “infiltration” from Bangladesh and it had also supported the NRC exercise in the Northeastern state.

Lauding the Central government’s decision, the Union minister added, “The decision will make it possible to find out how many people from Bangladesh are living in Assam illegally. It was very important to conduct it there. It was a matter of national security.”

Stating that several problems have arisen due to the “infiltration of Bangl-adeshis and Rohingyas”, whom — the senior Sena leader claimed — were found to have been involved in crime, Mr Sawant said, “I will soon meet Union home minister Amit Shah in this regard.”

The final list of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam was published on Saturday with a little over 19 lakh people not being included in it.

Over three crore people were found eligible for inclusion in the final NRC. However, those who are not satisfied with the outcome of the claims can appeal before Foreigners’ Tribunals.