Picture credit: NRC website

New Delhi on Thursday reiterated that the NRC issue of Assam would not affect the Indo-Bangla relation.

India’s foreign ministry has said that New Delhi has been in close touch with Dhaka both prior to and following the issuance of the draft Assam National Register of Citizens list.

“We have assured them (Bangladesh) that it is still a draft list prepared under orders of Supreme Court and process of identification of citizens of Assam is still underway,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Of the 3.29 crore applications received by the authority compiling NRC, the names of around 40 lakh people in Assam haven’t been included in the second draft.

The MEA said the draft NRC list will not impact India’s ‘excellent’ relationship with Bangaldesh. “The Bangladesh government has taken the view that the ongoing process is an internal matter of India,” Kumar said.

The message was earlier intimated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to his Bangladesh counterpart.

Ever since the second NRC list was published on July 30 a huge political debate had erupted in India with different political parties putting their own agenda.