Assam NRC is India’s internal matter, says Foreign Minister S Jaishankar during Bangladesh visit

Days after the Centre had raised concerns over illegal immigration from Bangladesh to the Northeast, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has termed the process of documenting and identifying illegal immigrants

Days after the Centre had raised concerns over illegal immigration from Bangladesh to the Northeast, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has termed the process of documenting and identifying illegal immigrants in Assam as India’s internal matter.

Jaishankar’s remarks came after he held talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Memon in Dhaka. The remark comes ahead of publication of the final list of NRC in Assam on August 31.

Jaishankar terming identification of illegal immigrants in Assam as an internal issue has raised a few questions. NRC publication date is closing in and the home ministry has made it clear that only Foreigners’ Tribunals can declare a person as a foreigner.

Earlier this month, Home Minister Amit Shah had raised the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh with his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan at the 7th meet of India-Bangladesh Home Minister Level talks in New Delhi.

Assam and other Northeastern States have been facing the problem of influx from neighbouring Bangladesh for decades now.

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