Bihar to update NPR from May 15; must for govt officials: Sushil Modi

West Bengal and Kerala Chief Ministers cannot obstruct work on National Population Register, says Sushil Kumar Modi.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has said the National Population Register (NPR) will be updated in the state from May 15 to May 28, daring West Bengal and Kerala not to allow the exercise in their territories.

Modi, a senior BJP leader, also said action would be taken against officials if they refuse to carry out NPR.

"The NPR process in 2020 will be carried out between April 1 to September 30 in the country. In Bihar it will be done between May 15 and May 28, 2020," Sushil Modi told reporters on Saturday.

The process of preparing NPR began in 2010 during the UPA regime which was completed between April 1 to September 30 that year, he said.

The Centre is "updating" the NPR 2010 in 2020 just before the 2021 census, he said. "NPR and NRC are two different things", he said.

He also dared West Bengal and Kerala Chief Ministers, Mamata Banerjee and P Vijayan, not to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the NPR if they can.

"No state including West Bengal, Kerala, Rajasthan can refuse to implement the CAA or NPR as the Centre has the power to bring legislation over citizenship. Preparing NPR is a statutory provision which no state can refuse to implement," Sushil Modi added.