On Wednesday, Asaduddin Owaisi, the president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), made a strong accusation against the Narendra Modi government. He claimed that the government plans to conduct the National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) alongside the Census starting this September.
Owaisi warned that if this plan is carried out, it could lead to a nationwide crisis similar to the situation in Assam, where 28 individuals were sent to detention centres after being declared non-citizens.
Owaisi's comments were based on media reports suggesting that the Modi administration intends to integrate NPR and NRC with the Census. He highlighted that the Telangana Assembly had previously passed a resolution unanimously, stating that while the Census would proceed, NPR and NRC should not be implemented.
The AIMIM leader expressed concern over the potential impact of NPR and NRC on the country. He recalled the distressing scenes from Assam, where family members of those sent to detention camps had raised alarm.
Owaisi criticised the Assam border police for their role, describing them as biassed and arbitrary. He accused them of unfairly targeting individuals and sending them to foreigners' tribunals, where the process was exclusionary.
According to Owaisi, Section 9 of the Foreigners Act places the burden of proof on individuals accused of not being Indian citizens. He cited a Supreme Court observation on Rahim Ali's case, which highlighted gross injustice in the system. Owaisi questioned how other family members of those declared non-citizens could still be Indian citizens, pointing out the absurdity of the situation.
He also criticised the detention process, where individuals declared non-citizens are kept in detention centres for up to two years. Owaisi suggested that the government should deport them to Bangladesh, but this is not feasible as Bangladesh does not accept them.
In addition to his remarks on NPR and NRC, Owaisi strongly condemned the killing of a 19-year-old student in Haryana, who was suspected of being a cattle smuggler. He labelled the so-called cow protectors as "Rakshas" or devils, criticising their actions and questioning how they obtained weapons and licences.
Owaisi alleged that the Haryana government was tacitly supporting these vigilantes, allowing them to take the law into their own hands. He expressed outrage over similar incidents, such as the burning of two youths from Rajasthan, and lamented the ongoing empowerment of cow vigilantes despite these violent acts.
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