NRC should not be politicised: Azad

New Delhi [India], July 31 (ANI): Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said the ongoing National Register of Citizens (NRC) debate should not become a matter of indulging in votebank politics.

"Genuine Indians should not be sent out of the country. NRC should not be politicised and used as a vote bank. It is a human rights issue, not a Hindu-Muslim issue," Azad said in Rajya Sabha earlier in the day.

In addition, Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati stated that those who are not able to provide proof of citizenship must not be thrown out.

The NRC final draft, which was released on Monday, incorporated 2.89 crore people out of the 3.29 crore applicants but excluded nearly 40 lakh people in the state.

The list was released in line with the directions of the Supreme Court to identify permanent residents and illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

In the wake of this, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament earlier in the day.

Two MPs, one from the TMC and the other from the Congress, also submitted adjournment motion notices in the Lok Sabha over the NRC issue.

On a related note, Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 11:00 AM on Wednesday, following an uproar witnessed after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah dragged former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's name during the discussion on the Assam NRC draft list. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI