New Delhi: Union home minister Rajnath Singh said there was no need to panic as all “bonafide” Indians will be given adequate opportunity to prove their citizenship. Assam awaits publication of another ‘draft’ of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on July 30.

The home minister’s statement came after his meeting with Assam chief minister SarbanandaSonowal on Sunday here.

The purpose of the NRC is to differentiate between Indian citizens residing in Assam and those who illegally migrated to the state from Bangladesh after March 25, 1971, a date agreed in the Assam Accord signed between the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1985.

The first draft of the NRC was published on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 last and names of 1.9 crore people of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated in it.

“I would like to assure everyone that the NRC exercise is being carried out in a totally impartial, transparent and meticulous manner and will continue to be so. At every stage of the process, adequate opportunity of being heard is given to all persons. The entire process is being conducted according to law and due procedure is being followed. We will ensure that every individual gets justice and is treated in a humane manner. All individuals will have sufficient opportunity for all remedies available under the law,” said Singh.

The home minister also stressed on the fact that the NRC that will be published on July 30 is still a draft.