Nitish should issue statement rejecting CAA, NPR, NRC, says JD(U) leader Pavan Varma

In testimony to the growing rift between JDU's rank and file, party spokesperson and former Rajya Sabha member Pavan K Varma has demanded the party president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to make a public statement rejecting the 'divisive' CAA, NPR and NRC schemes.

Speaking to ANI on a day when he has written a strongly worded letter to Kumar over the issues, Varma said, "I have written a letter to Nitish Kumar, asking him to issue a statement rejecting the divisive CAA-NPR-NRC scheme. I have expressed great surprise that Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi has unilaterally announced that the NPR will be implemented in Bihar in May 2020. On what basis has he made this public announcement, was there a Cabinet meeting? These decisions are to be announced by the Chief Minister."

He also asserted that the National Population Register (NPR) was the first step of the National Register of Citizen (NRC) and hence should be rejected.

"Nitish Kumar has categorically stated that there will be no NRC in Bihar. The NPR is first step to NRC, so if we have rejected the NRC, how can we have NPR. I have asked Nitish Kumar to make a clear cut statement in this regard," Varma added.

He also stated that NPR cannot be implemented in a state which has said no to the implementation of NRC.

"The government has said on the floor of the House that this is the first step to NRC. If we have said no to NRC, how can we have NPR? And that too an NPR which has been revised with additional questions added it. I have requested Nitish Kumar to reject entirely the CAA, NPR and NRC," the JD(U) general secretary said.

On Saturday, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had said that a decision has been taken to update the National Population Register (NPR) and collection of data will be carried out from May 15 to 28 in the state.

Union Cabinet on December 24 approved a proposal to update NPR. The NPR was discussed thoroughly at the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.