NPR and NRC are two sides of the same coin. Under the #CAA2019, as amended, there is a concern that NPR will create an ecosystem that will...

DMK president M.K. Stalin criticized the Union Government's allocation of nearly four thousand crore rupees for updating the National Population Register, warning that the NPR and the National Register of Citizens are fundamentally two sides of the same coin. Stalin emphasized that under the statutory framework of the amended Citizenship Act, the revised population register will create an invasive administrative ecosystem designed to scrutinize and verify citizen status arbitrarily, fostering pervasive fear and discrimination among diverse religious minorities and underprivileged social groups across the nation.

Stalin pointed out that during a severe economic slowdown characterized by mounting unemployment, declining industrial output, and agrarian distress, expending thousands of crores of public funds on contentious population verification represents an irresponsible waste of national resources. Demanding questionable documentary proof regarding parents' birthplaces from impoverished citizens who lack basic civil records will trigger widespread administrative chaos and harassment.

Stalin demanded that the Union Government provide a transparent public explanation justifying this colossal financial expenditure. He reiterated the DMK's firm opposition to the divisive exercise, urging state governments to resist compiling population data for contentious citizenship screening.