Chidambaram says residency, not citizenship basis of 2010 NPR

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday (December 26) attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government after its leader Amit Malviya put out an old video on Twitter saying the Congress launched the National Population Register (NPR).

Then Congress President Sonia Gandhi enumerating for the population census in 2011, when it was for the first time also used to build the National Population Register (NPR).

Now the same Congress is using it as an excuse to fan riots, destroy public property and create mayhem… pic.twitter.com/vUxi4WRlH9

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 25, 2019

P Chidambaram, Home Minister during UPA era, gloating at the launch (2010-11) of National Population Register (NPR) exercise.

It is for the first time in human history we are beginning to identify, count, record, enumerate and eventually issue a identity card to 120 cr people… pic.twitter.com/IZGT6TlFft

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 25, 2019

Reacting to the video, the senior Congress leader said the NPR was introduced in 2010 for ‘residency’ and not for ‘citizenship.’

“I am happy that the BJP has released a video clip of the launch of NPR in 2010,” Chidambaram tweeted. “Please listen to the video. We were enumerating the ‘usual residents’ of the country. The emphasis is on residency not citizenship.

“Every usual resident was to be enumerated irrespective of his or her religion or place of birth. The NPR aided the preparation of the Census of 2011. There was no mention of National Register of Citizens (NRC),” the former finance minister added.

I am happy that the BJP has released a video clip of the launch of NPR in 2010.

Please listen to the video. We were enumerating the "usual residents" of the country. The emphasis is on residency not citizenship.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) December 26, 2019

Chidambaram also said the BJP had a much larger and more sinister agenda. “The BJP-led government has a larger and more sinister agenda and that is why the NPR approved by them yesterday is very dangerous and different in terms of the TEXT as well as the CONTEXT of NPR 2010.”

The BJP-led government has a larger and more sinister agenda and that is why the NPR approved by them yesterday is very dangerous and different in terms of the TEXT as well as the CONTEXT of NPR 2010.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) December 26, 2019

“If the BJP’s motives are bonafide, let the government unconditionally state that they support the NPR form and design of 2010 and have no intention of linking it to the controversial NRC,” Chidambaram concluded.

Reacting to Chidambaram’s accusation, BJP’s Amit Malviya posted another video. “Mr Chidambaram, Your memory seems to be failing you. Let me help you a bit here…,” Amit Malviya tweeted.

Mr Chidambaram, Your memory seems to be failing you. Let me help you a bit here…

The year was 2012: ‘NPR process is for the purpose of issuing a residents card, which will eventually lead to a citizenship card’.

It is infact the NDA that has delinked the NPR from citizenship. https://t.co/wiqBxHzQ2V pic.twitter.com/inQkKEmXaA

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 26, 2019

In the video, Chidambaram is heard saying that NPR process is for the purpose of issuing a residents’ card, which eventually will lead to a citizenship card.