BREAKING NEWS: Delhi assembly passes resolution against NPR and NRC

NEW DELHI: Delhi Assembly on Friday (March 13, 2020) passed a resolution against the implementation of the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in the national capital. The resolution, which was moved by Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai in the Assembly, also demanded that the Centre should now focus on strengthening the economy and coronavirus outbreak in the country.

At the one-day special session, which was held to discuss the NPR and the NRC, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal requested the Centre to withdraw them.

"Me, my wife, my entire cabinet don't have birth certificates to prove citizenship. Will we be sent to detention centres?" Kejriwal asked. The Chief Minister challenged Union Ministers to show whether they had birth certificates issued by the government.

Speaking in favour of the resolution, Kejriwal said, "I support the resolution against National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and they should not be implemented in Delhi.’'

"I urge the Centre to withdraw National Population Register and National Register of Citizens as I believe that 90 per cent people will not be able to prove their citizenship,’’ he added.

The resolution 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 moved the resolution.

Rai said if the NPR has to be implemented, it must ensure that all new entries in the NPR are withdrawn.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

He added that there has been an attempt to create an image that it will favour a particular community and will be against another.

"I want to say that NPR and NRC have nothing to do with any community or religion. It will be imposed on all the people and will affect all. Assam is the best example of it. Out of the 19 lakh people who could not make it to the list, 14 lakh were Hindus. If it is implemented across the country, the Hindus will be most affected."

Rai said he and his parents also do not have a birth certificate. He said such a fear was not among people even during the British rule. "This is raising questions on every person`s citizenship, this never happened even in the British rule. "

He said that on Thursday Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament that NPR has no link with NRC so people need not worry. "Previously, he used to explain the chronology to the people. He has several times said that first the CAA will come and then there will be NRC. However, in the House, he said there is no link of NPR with the NRC."

He said the statement of Shah should have given relief to the people, but it created more conflict in people`s minds. Rai claimed that Shah also said that the data is being collected so that the schemes can be given in a better way.

"I want to tell Shah that 1.25 crore people in the country have Aadhaar cards. If you want to seriously give them the benefits you don`t need to collect more data. 70 per cent of that 1.25 crore are unemployed. Give them jobs. Then go for more data collection."

The House later took up the resolution for discussion and passed it with a voice vote.

During the discussion on the resolution, BJP MLA Vijender Gupta made a remark against the Aam Aadmi Party, which created a ruckus in the House. However, the Speaker expunged his remarks and later asked Gupta to leave the House.