27 lakh people in Assam deprived of AADHAAR cards: Trinamool MP Sushmita Dev

Guwahati, Aug 29 : Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev on Thursday attacked the Assam government over the AADHAAR card issue and asserted that at least 27 lakh people are devoid of AADHAAR cards in the state, and the matter also reached the Supreme Court.

Dev told IANS that during the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the biometrics of 27 lakh people got locked and they could not apply for their AADHAAR cards later.

"Those 27 lakh people were deprived of government beneficiary schemes, including Ayushman Bharat. The students could not receive their fellowship due to the absence of AADHAAR cards. I took this matter to the apex court, and the government told the court that once the NRC procedure was over in Assam, those 27 lakh people would get their AADHAAR cards. Since the final list of NRC was not approved by the Registrar General of India, the government could not open the biometrics lock of those people,” she said.

The Trinamool Congress leader accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of spreading lies by saying there was no connection between the NRC and AADHAAR cards.

She stated, "The Chief Minister has been telling lies on the AADHAR issue. His government gave a note to the Court about the connection between the AADHAAR card and the NRC."

Dev argued that anybody living for more than 180 days in India can get an AADHAAR card, and this has nothing to do with citizenship. Despite this being stated in the AADHAAR rules, the government locked the biometrics of 27 lakh people in Assam, and this big section has been facing enormous difficulties.

However, she welcomed the state government's move to provide AADHAAR cards to around 9 lakh people and demanded that the rest of 18 lakh should also get their AADHAAR cards soon.