New Delhi, November 1: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed five additional documents for filing claims and objections to those who were not included in the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam. Claimants were permitted to rely on ten documents earlier. The apex court also extended the deadline for filing claims and objections related to Assam NRC to December 15.

The five documents that the Supreme Court allowed today are the 1951 NRC, voter lists up to March 24, 1971, citizenship certificates, refugee registration certificates and ration cards issued before March 24, 1971. Notably, state NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela had raised apprehensions regarding the five documents. However, the court rejected the concerns of forgery and photoshop raised by Hajela. Assam NRC List: Out of 40 Lakh People Excluded From the Draft, Only Over One Lakh Have Filed Claims So Far.

The Assam government and other stakeholders had demanded inclusion of all 15 documents in their affidavits. The top court on September 19 had ordered the commencement of submission of claims and objections on the inclusion of names in Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft from September 25. Till October 23, only one lakh people filed the claims.

The court had ordered that the start of filing of claims and objections would last for 60 days from the date of commencement; however, it extended the deadline to December 15. The final draft of NRC triggered a nationwide political row after over 40 lakh of the 3.29 crore applicants were excluded from it, sparking concerns about their future. Assam: Humiliated Over Exclusion From NRC, 74-yr-old in Mangaldoi District Commits Suicide.

On Tuesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Bengal does not bow before anyone and will provide shelter to people whose names were not included in the final draft of NRC.

"Bengal never bows down before anyone. The ruling party at the Centre has resorted to 'Bengali Hatao' (chase away the Bengalis). This doesn't happen in Bengal. Here we love Assamese, Bengalis, Biharis, refugees, backward classes, minorities, Nepalis as well as Hindi and Urdu speaking populace," Banerjee said at a meeting during her two-day visit to north Bengal.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 01, 2018 04:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).