Guwahati: The All Assam Minorities Students' Union (AAMSU) on Saturday criticised state NRC co-ordinator Prateek Hajela for recommending non-inclusion of five out of 15 documents for the claims and objections process of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update.

The students' union said genuine citizens who had applied but got left out of the final draft of the NRC published on July 30 could file claims application for inclusion of their names by furnishing necessary documents under the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.

The Centre, with the help of Hajela, had filed the draft modalities for the standard operating procedure to be adopted for the claims and objections process, before the Supreme Court. The modalities contain the documents, apart from the legacy data, prior to March 25, 1971, which are admissible.

"But Hajela secretly filed an application before the Supreme Court to disallow the validity of five documents earlier listed as admissible for inclusion in the NRC. The documents are the 1951 NRC, voter lists up to 1971, citizenship certificates, refugee certificates and ration cards issued prior to March 25, 1971. Hajela has gone beyond his mandate to file such an application," alleged AAMSU president Azizur Rahman.

"All those who can produce documents verifying them as residents prior to the cut-off date of March 25, 1971, according to the Assam Accord, are citizens of India. A sub-committee constituted by the state cabinet had agreed to include the 1951 NRC and the voter lists till 1971 as admissible for proving citizenship. It is a mystery why Hajela has now recommended that they be disallowed. An accurate and foreigner-free NRC is desired by all but the BJP government seems to be working with Hajela to exclude Indian citizens," Rahman alleged.

The student union demanded that Hajela withdraw the application and asked the state government to restrain him. It warned of a vigorous agitation from September 13 if its demands are not met.