Assam NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela transferred to Madhya Pradesh by Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the inter-cadre transfer of Assam National Register for Citizens (NRC) coordinator Prateek Hajela to Madhya Pradesh on deputation. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi directed the Central government to transfer Hajela with immediate effect.

While announcing the order, the Supreme Court bench did not specify the reason as to why they are transferring the NRC coordinator Hajela. According to reports, Attorney General KK Venugopal sought the reason for Hajela's transfer and the CJI responded by asking him, "Can there be no order without a reason?"

The top court also said that Prateek Hajela may be sent for deputation in Madhya Pradesh for a maximum period permissible under the rules.

Over 19 lakh people were excluded from the final NRC list in Assam and quickly became a subject of criticism. Not just opposition and local people in Assam, even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership in the state slammed the NRC process.

Assam NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela saw two FIRs lodged against him for "discrepancies" in the final updated list. A lawyer and indigenous Muslim students organisation -- All Assam Goriya-Moriya Yuva Chatra Parishad (AAGMYCP) -- had filed separate FIRs against Hajela in Dibrugarh and Guwahati.