Stalin launches signature campaing against CAA, NRC, NPR

DMK president M K Stalin on Sunday launched a 'one crore signature campaign' against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register here.

Launching the drive in which his party-led coalition partners, including the Congress, Left parties, IUML and MDMK are also taking part, Stalin slammed the Centre for "beginning work" for the NRC and NPR like it passed the CAA in Parliament.

"Sometimes we are confused about our own date of birth. When this is the case, a situation has now come about in which details about older generations like our father and grandfather are sought," he claimed.

Though Opposition parties had all along opposed the CAA and other aspects like the citizenship register, the Central government has, however, turned a deaf ear to it, he said.

Home Minister Amit Shah "autocratically" declared that the Citizenship law will be implemented and Prime Minister Narendra Modi too echoed the view, the DMK leader said.

"CAA must be repealed and initiatives related to both the NPR and NRC must not be taken up and these are the campaign objectives and this drive will emerge victorious," he said.

Stalin, also the leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly, strongly criticised the ruling AIADMK for supporting the CAA and said the signature drive has been launched following several forms of protests like demonstrations.

Wearing a "No to CAA NPR NRC," tag, the top DMK leader affixed his signature to kick start the campaign in his Kolathur Assembly constituency here.

The drive, with participation from his party and allies will be held across the State and volunteers will go door to door and get people's signatures after explaining the reasons, he said.

After completing the exercise by February 10, Members of Parliament belonging to his party and allies will submit it to President Ram Nath Kovind and through it "a solution will come for this problem," Stalin said.