Congress MLA launches ''will not show papers'' campaign in Bhopal

An MLA of the ruling Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday launched a campaign to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), asking people not to show documents to prove nationality.

Arif Masood, the Congress MLA from Bhopal (Central), launched the campaign named 'Samvidhan bachayenge, kagaz nahin dikhayenge' (will save the Constitution and not show documents).

As part of the campaign, Masood's supporters have stuck pamphlets on the doors of homes in Bapu Colony, which falls under his assembly constituency, asking people not to show papers to prove citizenship and "save" the Constitution.

The pamphlets also have the message No NRC, NO NPR and NO CAA".

Masood said this campaign would cover the entire Bhopal and then other parts of the state.

We will also hold meetings with people to create awareness against the CAA, NRC and NPR, Masood said in a statement.

The Congress leader said the CAA-NRC-NPR processes are against the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar and claimed people from all religions are participating in his campaign.

Earlier this week, Masood had threatened to protest against the party-led government's "decision" to update the NPR.

After his threat, the Congress government had asserted there is no move "at present" to undertake the proposed NPR update exercise in the state.

After the Centre enacted the CAA in December, Masood had threatened to resign as a legislator if the Congress government did not reject the contentious citizenship law as well as the proposed country-wide NRC.

Chief Minister Kamal Nath had later announced that the amended Citizenship Act would not be implemented in the state.

Nath had also taken out a protest rally against the CAA, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.