BENGAL STAYS NPR UPDATION
KOLKATA : The West Bengal government on Monday stayed all activities related to the preparation and update of the National Population Register (NPR) in the state, an official order said.
An order issued by the home and hill affair department census cell to commissioners of Kolkata and Howrah municipal corporations and all district magistrates said that all activities regarding the preparation and update of NPR are stayed.
“No activity regarding NPR may be taken up without prior clearance from the government of West Bengal. The order is issued in the interest of public order,” it said.
The Centre has decided to prepare the NPR by September 2020 to lay the foundation for the roll out of a citizens’ register across the country.
The state government’s decision drew sharp reactions from the BJP. “The NPR was done for the purpose of census, under the National Census Act. What the state government is doing is unconstitutional,” BJP state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar said.
general secretary Sayantan Basu.
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government to file a report on action taken on the law and order situation and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar called upon Banerjee to brief him on Tuesday.
“I am extremely anguished that CM and ministers are to spearhead rally against CAA, law of the land. This is unconstitutional. I call upon CM to desist from this unconstitutional and inflammatory act at this juncture and devote to retrieve the grim situation,” Dhankhar tweeted.
In a letter to the governor, Banerjee said,“the constitutional obligation in my view is to support the state government machinery to maintain peace and harmony rather than aggravating the situation by provoking the elements who may attempt to disturb the order and tranquility. Please cooperate to maintain peace.”
In his reply, Dhankhar wrote, “I have taken note of your communication with deep pain and anguish and am surprised at the unwarranted tangential approach you have adopted therein. Your reflections are far from fact situations and would urge you to engage in soul searching.”