Govt focusing on CAA, NPR instead of economy: Sachin Pilot

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Thursday accused the Union government of using its political capital on issues such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Population Register (NPR), instead of taking measures to improve the economy.

He also alleged that the Centre was creating confusion over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the NPR.

"We (Congress) are a responsible opposition party. Therefore, it is our duty to ask questions to the government," Pilot said in a press conference here.

"We want to know the intentions behind the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. There is a doubt in people's mind as the Union government is confusing the people of the country about NRC and NPR," he said.

The Congress has been accusing the Narendra Modi government of trying to link the NPR with the NRC, terming it as "draconian" and against the secular tenets of the Constitution. However, Home Minister Amit Shah has denied that there was any link between the NPR and the NRC.

"While Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that no discussion was held on NRC, his ministers are saying that the government would implement it across the country," the Rajasthan Congress chief added.

"The government is claiming that the NRC was implemented in Assam as it was mandated by the Supreme Court. Now, they (government) are thinking about revising the NRC in Assam," he said.

"There is a confusion about the Union government's intentions as it is implementing the NPR instead of improving the economic situation of the country. It is using its political capital on disputed issues like CAA and NPR," he said.

On Tuesday, the Union cabinet decided that the NPR will be updated along with the house-listing phase of Census 2021 from April to September 2020 in all the states/union territories, except Assam.