NRC to be introduced throughout country: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asserted that the National Register of Citizens will be introduced throughout India and all illegal immigrants will be thrown out of the country through legal means.

He also said that people of the country have given its stamp of approval for the nationwide-implementation of the National Register of Citizens through the verdict of the 2019 elections.

"We had promised to the people of the country in our election manifesto that not only in Assam but we will bring NRC all over the country and make a register of the country's people, and for others (illegal immigrants) action would be taken as per law," he said at an event of Hindi daily Hindustan in Ranchi.

The home minister said that the full abbreviation of the NRC is National Register of Citizens, not the National Register of Assam.

"So this should be implemented throughout the country and I believe that there should be a list of people of the country.

"I believe that the people in 2019 have given their views on this because I myself had raised this issue in every rally without fail that we are going to introduce the NRC and those out of the list would be sent out of the country as per law," he said.

Shah also said that those left out of the NRC in Assam have been given a chance to present their case before foreigners' tribunals and the Assam government has also made arrangements for providing lawyers to those who cannot afford their fee to put forth their case.

"But I firmly believe that there is not a single country where anyone can just go and settle. I am asking you, can you go and settle in America? No, you cannot settle. Then how can someone else can settle in India? It is very simple to understand," he said.

The home minister wondered where politics comes in this.

"You go try to settle in England, the Netherlands, Russia no one would allow you. Then how come anyone comes and settle down in India. Countries do not function like this.

"This is the need of the hour that people of the country get a national register," Shah added.

The final NRC in Assam was published on August 31 excluding names of 19 lakh residents of the state.