SC makes clear NRC deadline won't be extended

NEW DELHI: Appearing before a Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice R F Nariman, attorney general K K Venugopal said that in the highly surcharged atmosphere during the election season, the NRC work should be suspended from the last date of submission of nominations till polling. The Centre sought to withdraw 167 companies of central forces for deployment for poll duty.

Responding to a query from the bench, the government said there are a total of 3,000 companies of forces available. The bench said the number was sufficient for elections and NRC work to go on together and the Centre was "hell-bent" on not allowing the work to continue.

"We are getting an impression that the ministry of home affairs does not want to complete the NRC work and it comes out with different excuses. Entire effort of MHA is to destroy the process," the bench said . The SC made it clear that the deadline of July 31would not be extended. "We want general election to be held peacefully, but we also want NRC work to go on along with election. Is it too much to ask from the government?" the bench said.It directed adequate number of state government officials, around 3,457 from different ranks, be kept free for NRC work. There are around 6,000 officials involved and the court said the rest of the work force, which is over 2,000, could be engaged in the election work at the relevant point of time.