Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 11 (ANI): Terming the issue of citizenship a 'matter of life and death,' AIMIM Chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday raised serious concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, alleging that it mimics the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise to discriminate against the Muslim community.

Speaking to reporters here, Owaisi asserted that his remarks were intended to create awareness rather than incite fear.

'We are not trying to scare anyone; no community is easily frightened. It is our responsibility to make them aware so that they can prepare adequately,' the AIMIM president said.Talking about how the NRC exercise was carried out in Assam, Owaisi accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of blatant bias in handling the excluded people.

'Consider the situation in Assam: the Supreme Court-monitored NRC process left out 1.8 to 1.9 million people. Of those, only 200,000 were Muslims; the rest were others. Himanta Biswa Sarma himself stated that non-Muslims would be granted citizenship, while Muslims would have to face the Foreigners' Tribunal. If this isn't discrimination, then what is?' Owaisi asked.

He further warned that the impact of exclusion goes far beyond being stripped of voting rights, noting that it directly threatens an individual's legal status in the country.

'It isn't just about losing the right to vote; your very citizenship is being called into question. Furthermore, regarding the Supreme Court judgment mentioned earlier, the Court directed the ECI to forward the names of those excluded from the register to the competent authority. And who is the competent authority? The Ministry of Home Affairs,' he said.

Detailing the subsequent procedure, Owaisi added, 'What will the Ministry do? It will question those whose names were left out. So, the issue of citizenship is indeed a matter of life and death.'

The remarks come amid ongoing political friction over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which Owaisi has previously labelled as a 'backdoor NRC.' (ANI)