CHENNAI: According to a statement jointly issued by AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday, the government has written to the Centre, to avoid collecting certain details for the National Population Register (NPR).
It mentions avoiding collecting details like mother tongue, place and date of birth of parents and spouse, Aadhaar, cell phone number, voter ID card and driving license details. Their inclusion in the new NPR manual is a contentious issue. It was widely feared that these details are collected to facilitate National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The leaders also accused the DMK of spreading false propaganda on the issue for political gains. It appealed to Muslims by listing various welfare measures taken by the party. “In Tamil Nadu, no injustice will be done to the brothers and sisters belonging to minority communities,” the statement said.
It added that the laws to enable NPR and NRC were framed by the 2003-NDA government in which DMK was a member. The first NPR was conducted in 2010 by the UPA government, again with DMK as a member. An appeal was made for everyone to cooperate, to maintain social harmony in the state.