India preparing for nationwide NRC, but no-one should be worried, says Amit Shah

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that a citizen's list or National Register for Citizens (NRC) akin to the exercise in Assam will be carried out across the country.

But he asserted that 'no-one from any religion should be worried'.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said the NRC is 'just a process' to get everyone under the citizen's list on Wednesday, according to local media.

"The Assam exercise was carried out under a Supreme Court order. NRC will be carried out across the country, will be done in Assam again at the time, no one from any religion should be worried," Indian news channel NDTV quotes him as saying.

The Assam citizen's list, put out in August, left out 2 million, effectively rendering them 'stateless'.

Most of these people failed to produce adequate documents to prove their citizenship claims, according to officials. However, the government said they will not be declared illegal immediately as they have the option of appealing to Foreigners' Tribunals and subsequently approach the courts.

The Home Minister said people whose names did not appear on the NRC could approach tribunals and the Assam government will even provide financial help.

Earlier, Shah had said at a rally in Kolkata that the NRC was a matter of national security and 'no country can run smoothly under the weight of so many intruders'.

Accusing West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of spreading lies about 'millions of Hindus' having to leave Bengal, he said, "I want to assure Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist and Christian refugees: you will not be forced to leave India by the government.

"Don't believe rumours. Before NRC, we will bring the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which will ensure these people get Indian citizenship."