NPR is first step of NRC, Opposition says citing govt records

The Opposition parties questioned the Union Cabinet’s decision to update the National Population Register (NPR).

Citing earlier statements of the Centre, the parties said the NPR is the first step before making the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The CPI (M) urged the Chief Ministers who have announced their opposition to the NRC to stop the NPR exercise in their States.

“The NPR exercise will require people to declare date and place of birth of parents along with furnishing data on 21 additional points. Most of the data being collected now was not collected in the last NPR exercise in 2010,” the CPI(M) Polit Bureau said in a statement.

Congress spokesperson Ajai Maken said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that there was no discussion on NRC and the Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said there is no link between NPR and NRC. “But-look at 2018-19 Annual Report of the Union Home Ministry. Pg 262- ‘NPR is first step towards creation of NRIC.’ Shame-PM shouldn’t lie,” tweeted Maken.

The CPI (M) said the amendment of the Citizenship Act of 1955 and the rules notified on December 10, 2003 by the then Vajpayee government is the basis on which the NRC is prepared.

“It is clear that the NPR is the first stage of the exercise to implement the NRC,” the party said.

The party also cited an answer to a question in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of State for Home Affairs in 2014 that said the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) will be made based on the information collected under the scheme of NPR. “Notwithstanding the untruths of PM Modi, it is abundantly clear that the NPR will lay the foundation for the NRC. At least 12 Chief Ministers have announced that the NRC will not be implemented in their States. The Chief Ministers of Kerala and West Bengal have decided not to proceed on the NPR as well,” the statement said.

COMMENT NOW