Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has clarified that the issuance of a National Register of Citizens (NRC) notice to a West Bengal resident by the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam was a judicial process and not initiated by the state government.
His statement came after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the Assam government over the notice, calling it an “unconstitutional overreach.”
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The controversy centers around Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, a member of the Rajbanshi community, who claims to have been residing in Dinhata, located in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, for over five decades.
Brajabasi reportedly received an NRC notice from Assam’s Foreigners Tribunal, prompting Mamata Banerjee to condemn the move and accuse the BJP-led Assam government of targeting marginalised communities.
Responding to the allegations, Chief Minister Sarma stated that the process was part of routine tribunal proceedings and not a directive from the state.
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“This is a judicial matter. The state government had already recommended withdrawal of the case, as the individual belongs to the Koch-Rajbanshi community,” Sarma said.
He explained that the issue escalated because the lawyers representing Brajabasi failed to inform the tribunal about the government’s withdrawal recommendation. “There were two advocates involved, but neither placed the state’s position before the court. Had they done so, the case would have been dropped,” Sarma told reporters.
Sarma also clarified that Brajabasi had previously lived in the Rehabari area of Guwahati before moving to Dinhata in West Bengal.
Earlier, Mamata Banerjee took to social media to express her discontent, terming the NRC notice a “systematic assault on democracy” and accusing the Assam BJP government of attempting to impose NRC procedures in West Bengal. “This is a premeditated attempt to intimidate, disenfranchise, and target marginalised communities,” she said.
The issue has reignited the politically sensitive debate over NRC and its implications for residents in border areas, particularly those from marginalised ethnic communities.