Two-time former All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA from Katigorah constituency in Cachar district of Assam, Maulana Ataur Rehman Mazarbhuiya, is still livid for his name not featuring in the final draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) published on July 30 last. Mazarbhuiya is also the secretary of Nadwatut Tameer, an organisation of minority religious groups.
Speaking to the Northeast Now correspondent on Wednesday, the former AIUDF legislator and secretary of the said religious body, Mazarbhuiya, fumed, “State NRC co-ordinator, Prateek Hajela, is the root cause behind the ‘suicides over NRC’ happening in Assam. His tough modalities of NRC have triggered great panic among the residents of Assam whose names have not appeared in the citizens’ list. He must be immediately removed as the State Coordinator of NRC and should be penalised for his wrongdoings.”
He also assailed the Sarbananda Sonowal Government in Assam for “supporting” Hajela. “Without support from the State Government, Hajela cannot act according to his own whims and fancies on a serious issue like the NRC on which rests the future of the citizens of the State. I do not oppose the NRC. However, it has become clear that the process is no longer fair and there is a well-knit plan to target the Bengali-speaking people of the State.”
The two-time MLA, who was at his wit’s end to find his name missing from NRC, said that his organisation will take the views of other linguistic and religious minority groups on the NRC issue and launch an agitation protesting the “lopsided” attitude of the Government.
A recent submission by Hajela to the Supreme Court on the list of documents which could be submitted afresh in the claims and objections phase of the exercise has vexed some groups including the North East India Emarat-e-Shariah and Nadwatut Tameer.
