October 05, 2018:The Centre made it clear today that it had no plan to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Tripura.
The Union government’s crisp and sharp clarification came within hours the local newspapers carried a news item quoting INPT general secretary Jagadish Debbarma that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh after his meeting with them in Delhi yesterday had agreed to implement NRC in Tripura after Assam.
The news item sparked off massive reaction and considering the sensitive nature of any such assurance –which would have serious snowballing reactions- political and otherwise – the Union Home Ministry moved its media wing Press Information Bureau to immediately issue the clarification in negative to Debbarma’s statement. According to sources, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb also spoke to Singh in this regard.
While on behalf of the Union government A Bharat Bhushan Babu first tweeted that no assurance of any kind was given by Union Home Minister regarding implementation of NRC in Tripura and that the claim was absolutely incorrect and mischievous, soon followed a formal clarification from the PIB.
Jagadish Debbarma, INPT general secretary who reportedly made the claim remained incommunicado, his mobile remained switched off through out the day.
In a statement, the PIB said a delegation of INPT led by its president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl, met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday but no assurance had been given to the team regarding implementation of NRC in the state.
“News reports have appeared to the effect that a delegation of Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), after a meeting with Union Home Minister, has claimed that NRC is likely to be implemented in Tripura. These reports are absolutely incorrect and mischievous.
Union Home Minister met a delegation of INPT led by its President Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl on 4th October, 2018. However, no assurance of any kind was given by Union Home Minister regarding implementation of NRC in the State of Tripura. It is categorically asserted that no decision has been taken on the issue of NRC in Tripura”, said the statement.
