NPR Proposed by Modi Govt 'Dangerous', Different From Population Register of 2010: P Chidambaram
The 'dangerous agenda' of the Modi government is reflected, said Chidambaram, as the NPR will be linked by them with the NRC. Although Home Minister Amit Shah has refuted the claim of NPR-NRC link, the erstwhile Modi government had told the Lok Sabha nine times that the NPR would be succeeded by the NRC, as mandated under Citizenship Rules, 2003.
New Delhi, December 26: Congress veteran P Chidambaram, under whose tenure as the Union Home Minister the first-ever National Population Register (NPR) was carried out, has accused the Narendra Modi government of working on a "dangerous agenda". The NPR of 2010, he said, is different from the proposed NPR under Modi government as it is being linked to the National Register of Citizenship (NRC).
The NPR carried out a decade ago, said Chidambaram, was aimed at laying the groundwork for Census 2011. The upcoming NPR, which the Centre has proposed to conduct between April-September 2020, is the precursor to the NRC exercise, the senior Congress leader claimed. 'RSS Prime Minister Lying to Bharat Mata': Rahul Gandhi Fires at PM Modi Over 'No Detention Centre' Claim.
The "dangerous agenda" of the Modi government is reflected as the NPR will be linked by them with the NRC, alleged Chidambaram. Although Home Minister Amit Shah has refuted the claim of NPR-NRC link, the erstwhile Modi government had told the Lok Sabha nine times that the NPR would be succeeded by the NRC, as mandated under Citizenship Rules, 2003.
See P Chidambaram's Tweet
According to Chidambaram, the Modi government could dispel concerns raised by citizens by announcing that it would not alter the form and design of NPR 2010 while conducting the exercise afresh. He further demanded the Centre to unconditionally declare that the NPR would never be used for conducting the NRC.
For conducting the NPR, the Cabinet on Tuesday announced a fund allocation of nearly Rs 4,000 crore. The announcement came amid raging protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Minorities, particularly a section of Muslims, are concerned over the proposed NRC exercise which is being considered as a ploy by them to revoke their citizenship. The protesting groups allege that the CAA would be used to provide "backdoor citizenship" to non-Muslims excluded from NRC, whereas, the Muslims would have to end up proving their citizenship before Foreigners' Tribunals.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 26, 2019 01:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).