Sarbananda Sonowal said it is the duty of government to make all groups and sections feel secure.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday assured that the state government will provide legal support to those excluded from the final list of the National Register of Citizens of India (NRC).

Mr Sonowal gave the assurance when representatives of various Bengali organisations in Assam called on him to apprise him about their grievances, a government release said.

The representatives also submitted a memorandum of their demands to the chief minister, the release said.

Assuring the delegates of taking positive steps for resolving issues afflicting the community, Mr Sonowal said the government will provide extend legal support to those excluded from the final list of the citizens register in the state so that genuine Indian citizens do not have to face any harassment, it said.

Asserting that it was the duty of the state government to make all groups and sections of the people residing in the state feel secure, Mr Sonowal said it would take all necessary steps in this regard.

He also assured that government would make sincere efforts towards socio-economic development of the Bengali community in the state, the release said.

Names of over 19 lakh people were excluded from the final list of the National Register of Citizens in Assam. The list was published on August 31 this year. Representatives of All Assam Bengali Youth Students Federation, Brihattar Bengali Unnyan Samaj, Vivekananda Seva Samity were among the organisations which met Mr Sonowal, the release added.