The Supreme Court today (Aug 7) expressed its displeasure with NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela and Registrar General of India (RGI) Sailesh for speaking to the media after the publication of the final draft of the citizens’ register, reprimanding them for statements made before the media on the NRC modalities while nothing had been informed to the court.
#BREAKING | Supreme Court pulls up #Assam #NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela & RGI Sailesh, questions why they are making statements before media on #NRC modalities when nothing has been informed to Court pic.twitter.com/ZKnBdMXacJ
— NEWS LIVE (@NewsLiveGhy) August 7, 2018
“Get down to work to finalize the NRC and never speak to the media on the issue without SC’s prior permission,” the two-judge bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R F Nariman said.
The apex court said it would have initiated contempt proceedings against the two officials had the publication of the final and updated NRC not being an urgent one.
The Supreme Court had last heard the NRC case on July 31, a day after the final draft of the citizens’ register was published that excluded more than 40 lakh people from the draft although keeping the option of filing claims and objections by those whose names did not figured in the final draft open.
The SC bench had fixed August 16 as the next date of hearing in the case. However, the apex court decided to hear the case today and will also take up the case for next hearing on August 16.
