Nawab Malik questions need for NPR if 'no documents required',says 'Aadhar serves purpose'

NCP leader Nawab Malik on Friday slammed Home Minister Amit Shah and the ruling government over the implementation of the National Population Register (NPR). Referring to Shah's points during the Rajya Sabha face-off with Kapil Sibal on Thursday, the NCP leader questioned the exercise's implementation. 

Speaking to the news agency, ANI, Nawab Malik said, "Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha that it is not mandatory to provide any document or answer any questions. If this kind of a thing is there, then why should the NPR exercise be carried out by the government. In Aadhar, every data is available. From the father's name, mother's name, fingerprint, every detail is there. When a single can provide the entire data of the people of the country, why should the NPR exercise be carried out?" Earlier, Malik stated that they have decided in the format of 2020 that they are not supporting the NPR. 

Replying to Sibal, the Home Minister in Rajya Sabha on Thursday had said, “The honourable member said that documents will be asked during the NPR exercise. I have clarified this via a press release that no document will be asked during NPR. Neither was it asked during the first NPR nor will be it asked this time around. Second, I have clarified via the press release that you are free to give any amount of information you want to. It is completely optional." 

Shah-Sibal faceoff

A massive face-off between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress MP Kapil Sibal was witnessed on Thursday in Rajya Sabha over the NPR. Sibal alleged that people would be marked as ‘doubtful’ over their failure to produce pertinent information during the NPR updation exercise. Moreover, he hinted that the citizenship of poor people could be adversely impacted.

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What is the NPR? 

First prepared in 2010 and updated in 2015, the NPR is a register of usual residents of the country being prepared at the local (village/sub-town), sub-district, district, state and national level under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. Under the NPR, a usual resident is defined as a person who has resided in a local area for the past six months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next six months or more. 

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