Union minister of state for external affairs V. Muraleedharan has said “genuine” Indians should not be persecuted, adding that it should be known who is a citizen and who is not.

Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, the minister recalled his association with the Northeast dating back to the anti-foreigners movement in Assam led by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).

“I have been in touch from 1983 onwards during the struggle against infiltrators by AASU. I came for satyagraha at Judges Field in Guwahati on October 2, 1983. But I was arrested midway,” he recalled.

The anti-foreigners movement spearheaded by AASU in the late ’70s and early ’80s culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985.

After nearly 36 years, the Northeast, especially Assam, is still grappling with the foreigners issue while the deadline for the final release of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam has been extended till August 31.

Asked to comment on the NRC update in Assam, the Union minister said: “The process is on and will follow the due course of law. Whatever has to be done will be done as per the stipulated laws.”

Muraleedharan also said the Centre had been making every effort to stem infiltration.

“The Union home minister has said that every Indian citizen should be identified, every foreigner should be identified and then we need to pursue the due process of law,” he added.

At the same time he said: “We have not said that every foreigner should be kicked out of the country, but at least we should know who is an Indian and who is not.”

On whether those — who possess electoral photo identity cards (EPIC) and Aadhaar cards, but could not produce documents about their ‘resident’ status — would be allowed to stay in India, he said there were cases when somebody obtained such identity cards by various means.

“Somebody has got a fake identity. It will not give him any benefit. So there will be some evidences to show that he is an Indian by origin or he has come from some other country. At the same time, a genuine Indian should not be persecuted,” Muraleedharan said.

On the Act East policy, he said India had been developing bilateral relationships with all countries on trade and other aspects.