Home Minister Amit Shah says no link between NPR-NRC, Modi Govt linked it 9 times in Parliament

Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday in an interview to news agency ANI said that there is no connection between the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Both are governed by different laws and NPR data would never be used for the NRC exercise.

He said: “NPR is the database on which policy is made. NRC is a process in which people are asked to prove their citizenship. There is no connection between the two processes, nor can they be used in each other’s survey. NPR data can never be used for NRC. Even the laws are different…I assure all the people, specially from the minorities, that NPR is not going to be used for NRC. It’s a rumour.”

But in a stark contrast to this, in its first term, the Modi government told Parliament around nine times that National Register of Citizens will be conducted on the basis of National Population Register data. The government even called NRC a “logical conclusion” of NPR.

The Indian Express pointed out nine points which contradict Amit Shah's statement that there's no link between the two

First, the law itself:

* The NPR, an enumeration of “usual residents” (resident for at least six months) of the country, is a data-collection exercise based on voluntary disclosure of information by people and is governed by Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. The rules were framed under sub-sections (1) and (3) of Section 18 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Under Rule 3, which provides for NRC, sub-rule (4), says, “The Central Government may, by an order issued in this regard, decide a date by which the Population Register shall be prepared by collecting information relating to all persons who are usually residing within the jurisdiction of Local Registrar.”

Sub-rule (5) of the Rule then says: “The Local Register of Indian citizens shall contain details of persons after due verification made from the Population Register.”

Under Rule 4, titled “Preparation of the National Register of Indian Citizens”, sub-rule 4 says, “During the verification process, particulars of such individuals, whose Citizenship is doubtful, shall be entered by the Local Registrar with appropriate remark in the Population Register for further enquiry and in case of doubtful citizenship, the individual or the family shall be informed in a specified proforma immediately after the verification process is over.”

Under Rule 7, the head of the family is supposed to provide correct information to enumerators during NPR exercise failing which he shall be penalised (under rule 17) with a fine extending up to Rs 1,000.

* The 2018-19 Annual Report of the MHA, released recently, says that NPR is the first step towards implementation of the NRC. “The National Population Register (NPR) is the first step towards the creation of the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) under the provisions of the aforementioned Statute (Citizenship Act),” the Annual Report said.

* In Parliament, on July 8, 2014, in a written reply to a question by Congress MP Rajeev Satav, then MoS Home Kiren Rijiju said, “The scheme of NPR has been reviewed and it has been decided that NPR should be completed and taken to its logical conclusion, which is creation of NRIC by verification of citizenship status of every usual resident in the NPR.”

* On July 15 and July 22 again, Rijiju linked NPR and NRIC on similar lines during question hour in Lok Sabha.

* On July 23, he made the same statements in Rajya Sabha.

* On November 29, 2014, Rijiju told Rajya Sabha: “The NPR is the first step towards creation of National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) by verifying the citizenship status of every usual resident.”

* On April 21 and July 28, 2015, then MoS Home Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhury reiterated the “logical conclusion” statement in Lok Sabha during question hour.

* On May 13, 2015, in Rajya Sabha, Rijiju made similar assertions.

* On November 11, 2016, Rijiju reiterated this during question hour in Rajya Sabha. “The Government has approved the preparation of Population Register comprising details of usual residents in the country. The preparation of Population Register is a part of preparation of National Register of Indian Citizens under provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 read with the Citizenship Rules (2003).”