The CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on November 21

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) reiterates its opposition to the extension of the National Register of Citizens to the entire country. The home minister, Amit Shah, has announced in Parliament that an NRC will be created for the whole country and along with that the NRC will be repeated in Assam.

Though he has not specified when this will be undertaken, the NRC process is starting with the enumeration for the National Population Register (NPR) which is to begin on April 1, 2020. It is on the basis of the NPR that the NRC will be finalised.

When already the Aadhar and EPIC cards are in vogue, this is an unnecessary and wasteful process. It is meant only to fulfill the ruling party’s agenda of targeting certain sections who are branded as “foreigners”.

The CPI(M) is strongly opposed to a repetition of the NRC process in Assam. The NRC process was undertaken under the supervision of the Supreme Court. The whole process had incurred an expenditure of Rs 1,600 crore. Now what is necessary is to ensure that those Indian citizens who were excluded are brought into the list. Another NRC exercise will impose new burdens and insecurities among various sections of the people. It will only serve the BJP’s agenda of communally dividing the people.