AMN / NEW DELHI
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) has reiterated its opposition to the extension of the National Register of Citizens NRC to the entire country. It said that when already the Aadhar and EPIC cards are in vogue, this was an unnecessary and wasteful process.
“It is meant only to fulfill the ruling party’s agenda of targeting certain sections who are branded as “foreigners”” CPM said in a statement.
“The CPI(M) is strongly opposed to a repetition of the NRC process in Assam. The NRC process was undertaken under the supervision of the Supreme Court. The whole process had incurred an expenditure of Rs. 1600 crore. Now what is necessary is to ensure that those Indian citizens who were excluded are brought into the list. Another NRC exercise will impose new burdens and insecurities among various sections of the people. It will only serve the BJP’s agenda of communally dividing the people”, party said in a statement.
The Home Minister, Amit Shah, has announced in parliament that an NRC will be created for the whole country and along with that the NRC will be repeated in Assam.
Though Shah has not specified when this will be undertaken, the NRC process is starting with the enumeration for the National Population Register (NPR) which is to begin on April 1, 2020. It is on the basis of the NPR that the NRC will be finalized.