BJP-RSS Using NPR, NRC Beyond Assam to Fuel Religious Polarisation: CPI(M)

New Delhi: The CPI(M) on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were trying to duplicate the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as part of their efforts to "sharpen polarisation" in the country and consolidate "communal vote bank".

Addressing a press conference here after the conclusion of the party's two-day central committee meeting, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the chief ministers of various BJP-ruled states had demanded an NRC in their states, while the NRC was part of the Assam Accord and specific to the state.

"The NPR is dangerous. This government has revived the preparation of the NPR. This is being done in preparation for an all-India NRC on the basis of this NPR. The Central government has asked some states to start constructing buildings to be used as detention centres," he added.

"The central committee of the CPI(M) opposes the extension of the NRC outside of Assam. This government has revived the preparation of the NPR. This is being done in preparation for an all-India NRC on the basis of this NPR. The central government has asked some states to start constructing buildings to be used as detention centres," Yechury claimed.

He alleged that the detention centres where those declared foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunal are housed lack basic amenities and the conditions were abysmal, violative of elementary human rights.

"All these exercises are unnecessary as the Aadhaar cards have been universalised in the country. The EPIC with the photo identity electoral rolls has the list of all voters of the country, which is routinely revised every year," he said.

"When all these already exist, the simultaneous talk of extending the NRC beyond Assam, enumeration of the NPR, duplication of the electoral rolls by the Electoral Verification Process and the assurance of passing the Citizenship Amendment Bill, all indicate the efforts to sharpen polarisation in the country in order to consolidate the RSS/BJP's communal vote bank," Yechury said.

Economic Slowdown ‘Unprecedented’

Yechury alleged that the unprecedented economic slowdown in India, bordering on recession with large-scale unemployment, along with lakhs of workers being retrenched, and the continuing agrarian distress are imposing greater miseries on the people.

Yechury said his party has called upon all its units to mobilise people for a protest between October 10 and 16 against the government's economic policies.

He also said the central committee discussed the tactics to be adopted in the elections to the state assemblies of Maharashtra and Haryana.

"Discussions with the Left, secular and democratic forces are going on for seat adjustments," he said.

 Hitting out at the government over its claims of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, Yechury said things are far from "normal" in the region.

He alleged that even CPI(M) central committee member Yousuf Tarigami was not granted permission to attend the panel's meeting, though the government claimed in the Supreme Court that he is not under detention.

"This shows that all the claims made by the government that so-called normalcy exists in the valley is completely opposite of the ground realities," he said.