Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said the number of people excluded from the draft National Register of Citizens in the state will "drastically" change at the end of the process of claims and objections.


The final draft of the NRC in the state is not a major issue as it is not the final one, he told reporters yesterday. "It is not proper to come to a conclusion regarding the NRC in Assam. It is just a draft. In our NRC, names of many people are not there. This number will drastically change after claims and objections are taken into consideration," said Sarma, who is also the convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance, formed by the BJP along with regional political parties.


Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who was present during the interaction with reporters, said he was unaware of any demand for updating NRC in the state. The NRC revision has rocked Assam since the publication of its final draft on July 30. Names of over 40 lakh people have been excluded from the draft of the NRC. -- PTI