Expressing serious concern over the recent membership registration drive carried out by BJP, Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) has demanded that any political party going for such drives should carry out a thorough background check before absorbing non-Nagas into its fold.
Clarifying that it was not opposed to such drives, the council alleged that many persons of doubtful identities and from outside the State, especially in Dimapur, were seen giving their addresses as Nagaland, which was a matter of great concern.
Meanwhile, CNTC alleged that following update of National Register of Citizens (NRC) neighbouring Assam, many suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants (IBIs) whose names did not figure in NRC have started applying for Indian passports from Dimapur regional passport office with fictitious documents.
The council demanded that the authorities thoroughly scrutinise and leave no stone unturned in indentifying these IBIs and do the needful at the earliest.
“It has come to notice that people of a particular community are applying passports from Dimapur in large numbers, which seems to be very questionable and fishy, while the NRC final list was about to be drafted,” a statement issued by its media cell noted.
CNTC demanded absolute strictness in the proceedings so that persons with doubtful identities were not given citizenship as it would be detrimental.