Shah: NPR not to mark ‘doubtful’
2 PFI MEMBERS ARRESTED
New Delhi: Allaying fears over the National Population Register (NPR), home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said no citizen will be marked ‘D’ or ‘doubtful’ during the updating exercise and no documents need to be furnished to prove citizenship. Also, it is not compulsory to provide any information not available with an individual, he said. Shah gave the clarification during his reply to a debate on communal riots in Delhi which he said were triggered by alleged hate speeches after passing of the new citizenship law that gave non-Muslim illegal migrants Indian citizenship.
The Modi government on Thursday assured Parliament that those responsible for riots “irrespective of their political, religious affiliation will be brought to book” after more than 50 people lost their lives and many got severely injured during the recent Delhi violence.
Facing widespread criticism over its inability to control the situation and allegation that the “communal virus” unleashed by the ruling BJP would eventually pose a threat to democracy, the government in the Rajya Sabha also blamed the Opposition for spreading lies against the amended Citizenship Act, which the Union home minister said ignited hate speeches.
Replying to a short-duration discussion on Delhi violence in the Upper House, Shah asserted that that the government was not running away from debate, as alleged by the Opposition but only wanted peaceful Holi.
He also apprised the Upper House that two persons who were found to have links with ISIS and were part of the conspiracy have been arrested by the Delhi Police.
Urging all parties to come together and dispel fears about the CAA and NPR, Shah said, “No document New Delhi, March 12: The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested two members of the Popular Front of India for their alleged involvement in anti-CAA protests and northeast Delhi riots, officials said.
The accused have been identified as PFI president Parvez and secretary Illiyas, they said. The two were arrested by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell, the officials said.
will be asked under NPR. You are free to give whatever information you want. Nobody will be marked a doubtful citizen. No one should be scared of NPR process.”
He also invited a delegation of the Opposition parties to come and discuss the NPR along with officials of the ministry to dispel fears being propagated about the NPR.
The Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, led by the Congress, on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the government as well as the police over the Delhi violence last month that claimed over 50 lives, and warned that the spread of the “communal virus” would eventually pose a threat to democracy.