NPR going to be basis for NRC across country: Yechury

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday said that the National Population Register (NPR) is going to be the basis for the launch of NRC across the country.

Without directly mentioning the BJP, he also said that the party was using NRC to consolidate its “Hindutwa vote bank.”

"Now they have started the National Population Register. It was going on earlier but was discontinued after Aadhaar was universalized saying why duplication. The NPR is going to be the basis for the launch of NRC nationwide,” said Yechury while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the two-day long CPM state committee meeting which concluded on Friday.

Yechury further alleged that NRC is being used as an issue in poll-bound states to divide the people.

“They (the BJP) want to extend NRC all over the country and particularly in states where elections are coming. NRC is being used as an issue to whip up emotions, to divide the people and consolidate the Hindutva vote bank. They are destroying in the process the unity of our social fabric,” said Yechury.

AS for the CPM stand on NRC, Yechury said that apart from Assam; NRC is completely extraneous to any other state in the country.

“Our party's stand on this is very clear. NRC was part of the Assam Accord and it is therefore relevant in Assam. NRC is completely extraneous to any other state in the country. Therefore it cannot be extended beyond Assam,” said Yechury.

Alleging that there is complete “constitutional breakdown in the country”, Yechury said that such a situation is necessary for the RSS to further their agenda of converting India into a "Hindu Rashtra".

“If the masses behind TMC thinks they will come with us they are most welcome... The erosion of the Constitution is necessary for the RSS in their efforts to convert secular democratic India to a Hindu Rashtra,” he said.

Asked whether his appeal to other political parties and civil society organisation to unite against the BJP also includes the TMC, Yechury avoided a direct answer.

According to CPM sources, the state leadership during the meeting decided to put more emphasis on introducing young blood in the state in a time bound manner.

The state leadership on the first day of the meeting (Thursday) decided to relieve four aged members of the CPM’s state secretariat— the highest decision making body of the party in the state— from their duties as per their request. They were replaced by younger leaders.

"Several other such aged state committee members have also sought to be relieved from their responsibilities. It will be done in the next three months depending on the situation,” a CPM state committee member told DH.