As Centre okays NPR fund, Akhilesh says BJP govt's "hidden motives" to have NRC exposed

Shortly after the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a fund of Rs 3,941.35 crore to update the National Population Register, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday attacked the BJP government, saying its "hidden motives" to have a National Register of Citizens has been exposed.

"When the government itself said in Rajya Sabha that NPR will be the basis of NRC, how much lie these BJP men will speak and mislead people? Their hidden motives stand exposed. The tenure for those, who are seek to destroy the unity the country, is drawing closer," Akhilesh said in a tweet in Hindi.

The government on Tuesday approved nearly Rs 12,700 crore for carrying out the Census 2021 and updating the National Population Register (NPR), and made it clear that NPR has no relation with the contentious National Register of Citizens.

However, home ministry officials said "at present there is no proposal to create the NRC in the country based on the NPR data".

The Union cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the proposal for conducting the Census 2021 at a cost of Rs 8,754.23 crore and updating the NPR at a cost of Rs 3,941.35 crore.