Delhi Minister tables resolution in Assembly against NPR

Delhi Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai on Friday moved a resolution in the state Assembly against the NPR and NRC and demanded that the Centre instead focus on the Indian economy and coronavirus outbreak.

Rai moved the resolution during a special session of the Assembly called on Friday.

In his resolution, Rai demanded that if the exercise to build a National Population Register (NPR) is to be carried out, it should be in accordance with the 2010 format.

"On the basis of the NPR, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be done. People are scared of this... I request the Centre that at a time when the Indian economy is down and coronavirus is spreading, it should use its resources on these issues. The Centre should roll back the NRC and the NPR. Even if they wish to go forward, the NPR should be done as per the 2010 format," Rai said as he tabeled the resolution.

If NPR has to be implemented, must ensure that all new entries in the NPR are withdrawn, Rai said.

"The NPR updation should be stalled in Delhi. And if the Centre insists, the process should be carried out in accordance with the 2010 format," Rai said.

Later, the House took up the resolution for discussion, during which AAP MLA Atishi said: "The Census Act doesn't define the NPR, but the Citizenship Act does. The only purpose of the NPR is to convert it into NRC. Through the NPR, the central government is trying to make a back-door entry to the NRC. We oppose the NPR."

The resolution is most likely to be passed by the House as the AAP enjoys a brute majority with 62 in the 70-member Assembly.

The AAP has verbally clarified several times that it is against the NRC, saying the country's attention should be on the economy and employment. The party had been saying that the poor do not have enough documents for the NRC. IANS