Thiruvananthapuram, August 20: Kerala’s opposition leader, Pinarayi Vijayan, accused the central government on Wednesday of attempting to use the upcoming census to advance the National Population Register (NPR) agenda. He warned that questions regarding parents’ birthplace and religion could pave the way for a citizenship process that may be divisive.
In a post on social media, Vijayan expressed deep concern over reports that such questions would be included in the census. He alleged that the central government is secretly trying to implement the NPR agenda alongside the census.
Vijayan pointed out that while the census and NPR are distinct processes, the government is attempting to merge the two. Citing a report from the Ministry of Home Affairs for 2018-19, he claimed that information collected through the NPR could be used to prepare the National Register of Citizens (NRC), labeling the NPR as the first step towards the NRC.
He emphasized that the inclusion of questions about parents’ birthplace and religion in the census is clear in its intent. He argued that any policy linking citizenship to religion cannot be accepted.
Vijayan demanded that the government immediately remove questions from the census that he described as suspicious and aimed at dividing people. He also appealed to the secular sections of society to unite against this dangerous move, which he believes targets a specific segment of the population.
The former Chief Minister criticized the Kerala UDF government for its silence on the issue despite concerns regarding the census. He alleged that the Congress party is not innocent regarding the NPR issue either.
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