New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that 61 out of 70 members in the Delhi Assembly don’t have birth certificates and asked if they will also be sent to the detention centres.
Kejriwal asked members to raise hands who have birth certificates by any government agency. In reply nine members raised their hands. To this Kejriwal said: “61 out of 70 members in the Delhi Assembly don’t have birth certificates. Will they also be sent to detention centres?”
The Delhi Assembly on Friday passed a resolution urging the Centre to withdraw and not to carry out the whole exercise of the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
“Earnestly appeals to the Government of India that in the interest of the nation, particularly when the economy is witnessing worst ever downslide and the unemployment is witnessing terrifying growth and with the threat of corona pandemic looming large, it invests all its energies and resources on real needs of the people of India rather than unnecessary issues like NPR/NRC,” reads the resolution.
“Therefore, urges upon the Government of India to withdraw and not carry out the whole exercise of NPR and NRC, (should the Government of India insist on going ahead, to restrict the exercise to NPR only with 2010 format with no new fields added to it),” adds the resolution.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said: “The Government of India said that besides census, it will also make NPR. First I felt good but there are problems in this process.”
“The Home Minister has said that voter ID, passport and Aadhaar card are not enough. Instead, the birth certificate will be required. How the information given by a person will be verified,” asked Sisodia.
“The official, who will be preparing the NPR, has the right to write doubtful against any person. I support the resolution by the Delhi assembly that the government should not carry out the whole exercise of NPR and NRC, (should the Government of India insist on going ahead, it should restrict the exercise to NPR only with the 2010 format,” he added.