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Trinamool Congress in Lok Sabha alleged a conspiracy to drive out Bengali-speaking population from Assam on Thursday, a charge rejected as “baseless” by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy raised the issue as soon as the Zero Hour began, pointing out that names of 1.3 crore people out of 3.29 crore population of Assam had not appeared in the first draft of National Register of Citizens, which aims at identifying illegal immigrants.

“We fear this is a conspiracy to drive out Bengali- speaking people from Assam,” Roy said, drawing vociferous support from his party MPs and some members of the Congress and the Left parties.

Responding to the claim, the Union Home Minister said the NRC work is going on under the supervision of the Supreme Court and there is no need for anyone to feel concerned.

“Those whose names have been left out can approach a tribunal. It is a baseless allegation that some people are being driven out,” Rajnath Singh said.

Meanwhile the Tinsukia unit of AASU has burnt the effigy of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her provocative remarks on NRC.

The West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo while addressing a public meeting in Birbhum district on Wednesday said NRC updating exercise was a “conspiracy by the centre to drive Bengalis out of Assam”. She blamed the BJP for it.

The Krishak Shramik Kalyan Parishad has filed a case against Mamata Banerjee at the Dispur police station on Thursday.