The Assam government on Thursday said it will approach the Supreme Court on the matter of getting Aadhaar Cards for those left out in the final list of the National Register of Citizens, The Hindu reported.

Assam had published a National Register of Citizens in August 2019. More than 19 lakh people in Assam were left out of the final list of the National Register of Citizens, that comprised around 6% of Assam’s entire population.

The state government had called the final draft of the National Register of Citizens “faulty” and had alleged that it has excluded several indigenous people of Assam.

Prior to the publishing of the final draft, the biometric details of over 27 lakh applicants had been collected while conducting the claims and objections phase of the exercise. As their biometric details were locked, these people were unable to register their names for Aadhaar enrolment, according to PTI.

On Thursday, Assam minister and government spokesperson, Pijush Hazarika, said that the lack of Aadhaar cards has deprived these 27 lakh people, some of whom belong to the indigenous communities, of government schemes such as those which provide free rice or housing, according to The Hindu.

Agriculture Minister Atul Bora said there was no harm in giving Aadhaar cards to those left out of the citizenship list as it was not a document that can be shown as proof of citizenship.

“Even after getting this document, if names of people get dropped from the final NRC, their Aadhaar cards would also become invalid,” Bora said, according to Hindustan Times.

The decision to approach the apex court was taken after members of the Assam government had met representatives of 27 organisations from across the state.