Kolkata, July 22 (IANS) A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed at a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday seeking implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal.

The division bench of Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Smita Das De admitted the public interest litigation filed by one individual, Paramita De. The matter will come up for hearing on July 29.

The court also directed the state government to inform the court on whether any other similar petition on the same subject had been filed or not, and if yes, the current status of those other petitions.

In the petition, the petitioner claimed that illegal infiltrators were entering West Bengal from different neighbouring nations. She claimed that the special alarming factor was the entry of Rohingya infiltrators in West Bengal.

According to her, this rampant illegal infiltration was affecting the law and order situation in West Bengal, and the safety and security of the women and children were especially at stake.

The petitioner also claimed that because of the imminent security threats in West Bengal due to the rampant illegal infiltration, there was a necessity for the immediate implementation of the NRC in the state.

In the recent past, both West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee claimed that the Union Government and the BJP were indirectly trying to push the NRC in West Bengal.

They claimed that the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list by the Election Commission of India (ECI) was actually a clandestine attempt to push NRC in West Bengal. Both were vocal on this issue at Trinamool Congress’s annual Martyrs’ Day rally in Kolkata on Monday. They also vowed to oppose the Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal at any cost.

The Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls is expected to start in West Bengal by the first week of August.

–IANS

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