Yechury tells Telangana CM, counterparts to not implement NPR

CPI-(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said his party appeals to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and other Chief Ministers in the country to not implement the proposed National Population Register (NPR).

Our Kerala Chief Minister has made that announcement (not to implement NPR). In Bengal, Chief Minister made that announcement. Similarly, our appeal is to the other chief ministers, he told reporters. The NPR would be a harassment of poor people as they would have to produce certificates, he alleged.

Raising a question mark on the citizenship law, he said it was 'an inversion of the principles of jurisprudence." What is justice? What is the principle today? I am innocent till proven guilty. What is the logic they are bringing? I am guilty till I prove my innocence. What is the meaning of proving by getting all the documents? I have to prove my citizenship," he said.

"Normally, I am a citizen till government proves that I am not a citizen. But, here, the government says you are not a citizen. I have to prove that I am a citizen, Yechury said.

He claimed that the government has directed six additional questions to be asked, as per the now proposed NPR, to the existing 15 questions. The additional questions were about when and where the citizens' parents were born, he said. The local registrar would give his views on doubtful (D) category of replies and those in the D category would have to produce documents that they are genuine citizens, he said.

He further said efforts were on to bring together parties opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). On Friday, the CPI-M leader alleged CAA, NPR and NRC were aimed at making India a fascist country and hence people should reject them. This is not a Hindu-Muslim issue. The struggle is to save democracy, he said.