NRC row disrupts Rajya Sabha again; Modi to chair meeting to resolve standoff

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be chairing a high-level meeting today to solve the ongoing stand-off between the Centre and the Opposition regarding the National Registry of Citizens (NRC).

After the first draft was introduced on Tuesday (July 31), the Congress has been up in arms after it was found that the NRC would make nearly 40 lakh people in Assam illegal. BJP chief Amit Shah's speech on the issue caused a huge ruckus, with Vice President Venkaiah Naidu forced to adjourn the Rajya Sabha for the day.

During his speech, Amit Shah said, "You did not have the courage to implement it. We had the courage and we are doing it. Everybody here (in the opposition) is concerned with the 40 lakh people. How many Bangladeshi infiltrators are there among these 40 lakh? Who do you want to protect? You want to protect the Bangladeshi infiltrators?"

On Wednesday, Amit Shah was not allowed to complete his speech since Congress MP Anant Sharma raised objections and said he should apologise for attacking Rajiv Gandhi, who first signed The Assam Accord in 1985. Shah said that the Assam Accord was the first form of the NRC, and meant to identify the Bangladeshi infiltrators. 

The Rajya Sabha is now adjourned till 12 PM, after the Congress did not let Shah complete his speech and protested against the chair for allowing him to speak.

The first draft of the Assam NRC indicated that close to 40 lakh people are not legal residents of India, while 2.89 crore have been given citizenship. It was introduced to combat the growing number of illegal immigrants in Assam from Bangladesh, and with the Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar, the Centre has stepped up border checks along the region.