AIMIM chief Owaisi takes up Amit Shah’s challenge, gives proof of link between NRC, NPR
HYDERABAD: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, on Tuesday, shared several documents released by the previous governments that say the National Population Register (NPR) was directly linked to National Registry of Citizens (NRC), as a rebuttal to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks against him on the issue.
Earlier, during an interview with a news agency, Shah had said, “If we say that the sun rises from the east, then Owaisi ji will say: no it rises from the west. He always opposes our (BJP’s) stand. But I will keep assuring him that the CAA has nothing to do with the NRC.”
Soon afterwards, Owaisi shared a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release from the Home Ministry, dated November 2014. It reads, “The NPR is a register of all the usual residents, which includes citizens and non-citizens as well. The NPR is the first move towards he creation of NRC...”
“The sun will always rise from the east. But can we say the same about your feelings towards NRC?” Owaisi asked Amit Shah.
The Hyderabad MP shared another document — this time, from the official Census India website. “They want to project us as unreasonable and misinformed. That is not working because the evidence is extremely clear,” he added.
The website, which describes the ‘Civil Registration System Division’ of Census, says, “India is in the process of setting up a National Population Register. This is the first step towards the creation of a National Register of Citizens and the issue of a National Identity Card. The Civil Registration System has been linked to the NPR.”
Meanwhile, the Hyderabad MP, during an interaction with the media, lauded AP CM Jagan Mohan Reddy for his decision to oppose NRC. A delegation of United Muslim Action Committee (UMAC), including Owaisi, is set to meet Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday to urge him to stay NPR works in the State.
Jamia students attend protests in UoH
Protests against the CAA and the NRC continued in the city with the key speakers being the two students of Jamia Millia Islamia, Ladeeda Farzana and Aysha Renna. The duo interacted with Hyderabadi youth opposed to the CAA at Lamakaan. A protest meeting took place at the University of Hyderabad as well. Speaking about how they had become synonymous with anti-CAA protests, they said that many other female students revolted against the police “brutality” on campus, but not on camera. Aysha added, “The government wants to divide people on the basis of CAA, but it is not going to happen”