NPR unrelated to NRC: Bihar deputy CM

The senior BJP leader accused the Congress of misleading people and stated that the NPR has no connection whatsoever to the controversial National Register of Citizenship (NRC).

Speaking to reporters in Patna,  Mr Modi said that the Opposition was trying to create confusion among the masses, especially the Muslim community, for political gains.

“The NPR has nothing to do with NRC. The NPR was carried out in 2010 when UPA was in power at the Centre and in 2020 the exercise is being done only to update the National population Register,” Mr Modi said.

“The exercise is a part of the census which no state government can refuse. Officials will not ask for documents from anyone during the process. The NPR work has to be completed across the country between April 1 and September 30. In Bihar, the exercise to update the NPR will take between May 15 and 28,” he added.

Using the occasion to criticize the chief ministers of West Bengal, Kerala and other non- BJP ruled states which opposed to CAA and NPR,  Mr Modi said that implementation of the law enacted by the parliament is mandatory for all state governments.

“Any refusal to comply with the provisions would be against the Constitution. There is also a provision for punishment of three years of imprisonment and penalty against the officials who refuse to carry out the census work,” he said.

BJP leaders in Patna said that Sushil Kumar Modi’s statement would clear the confusion among the masses that have been nervous after the Centre announced the NPR.

NPR was first done in 2010 and was later updated in 2015 when it was linked with Aadhar.  But since the NPR was announced amid controversy over the CAA and NRC there is confusion among the people about the issue. Besides the Opposition in Bihar, a section in the ruling JD(U) have also been uncomfortable with issues like CAA, NRC and NPR.