'Centre using trishul of CAA, NRC against people'

CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat said on Friday that the Centre was using the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register (NPR) as a "trishul" (trident) to attack people.

She also dismissed the government's claim that the amended citizenship law has no nexus with the NRC and NPR.

Opposition parties have been alleging that the NPR is a step towards a nation-wide NRC.

"The Modi government is using the CAA, NRC, and NPR as a trishul to hit the heart of the country's people. The government does not follow the Constitution. It does not know the condition of women in the country," she said.

She also called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah "manufacturing units of lies".

Karat was talking to PTI on the sidelines of an event organised by the All India Democratic Women's Association in Byculla in south Mumbai.

"Ninety-three women are raped in India every day, of which a third are minor. But the conviction rate in such cases is only four per cent," she said.

Contrary to the government's claim, the CAA is linked to the NRC, which in turn is linked with the NPR, the communist leader said.

"This government is talking about the 2010 NPR, so why did they add six new questions to the NPR pre-test questionnaire? From where people will provide the documents and proof of dead parents? The government is just playing with people's sentiments," she said.