Jamiat faction denounces NPR, urges people to not cooperate with enumerators

Several scholars under the banner of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (Mahmood Madani faction) denounced the National Population Register (NPR) and urged people to not give their details to enumerators.

A brainstorming session was jointly convened by Maulana Mahmod A Madani, General Secretary of the Jamiat, and Kamal Faruqi.

At the end of the session, a unanimous resolution was adopted which "unequivocally" rejected NPR on the grounds that it was a "gross violation of article 14 of the Constitution", a statement by the Jamiat's Mahmood Madani faction said.

"NPR is the first stage of data collection to prepare NRC as per Citizenship Act 1955 and Citizenship Rule 2003. It is patently discriminatory, divisive, exclusionary and unconstitutional and targets communities on the basis of religion, class, caste and gender," the statement said.

"We must politely decline to co-operate or make available any details to them (data collectors)," it said.

The NPR update exercise will be held between April and September.