Guwahati/Bhubaneswar, Dec 12 (NationPress) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Thursday that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) ought to be established nationwide. Sarma, who was attending a party event in Bhubaneswar, informed reporters: "Our state has an NRC, which is why we have decided to issue Aadhaar cards solely to individuals who previously applied for the NRC. I believe this measure will aid in curbing illegal immigration in Assam. In my opinion, a nationwide NRC is essential for identifying who the true citizens of India are and who has entered our land from abroad."

The Chief Minister of Assam also criticized his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of adopting a lenient approach towards infiltrators.

He remarked: "The international border with Bangladesh features river boundaries in several regions where fencing cannot be installed. Nonetheless, we have enhanced security in these areas through technology in Assam and Tripura. Conversely, in West Bengal, the government has taken a lax stance on infiltrations, creating a porous border situation."

Furthermore, Sarma expressed that the “One Nation One Election” initiative is commendable, believing it could foster greater development across the country.

"In Assam, we face elections for either the Lok Sabha or the Assembly roughly every two years. This frequency disrupts the momentum of development projects. In contrast, Odisha holds elections every five years for both Lok Sabha and Assembly, allowing more space for development," he elaborated.

On Wednesday, Sarma revealed that the state government would begin verifying Aadhaar card applications and would reject those from families that had not sought inclusion in the NRC.

In September, he announced plans to link Aadhaar cards with NRC applications.

According to him, the state government intends to implement a standard operating procedure for Aadhaar card distribution in the future. This protocol will necessitate individuals to provide their NRC application number assigned during their 2015 application.