Pinarayi Vijayan alleges census used to advance NPR agenda

Pinarayi Vijayan, the Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, has accused the central government of attempting to use the upcoming census to advance the agenda of the National Population Register (NPR).

Vijayan expressed concern over reports that census questions may include inquiries regarding the religion and place of birth of parents. He warned that such data collection could facilitate citizenship processes that divide the population. Citing a 2018-19 Ministry of Home Affairs report, he claimed that information gathered through the NPR could be used to create the National Register of Citizens (NRC), describing the NPR as a preliminary step toward the NRC.

He demanded the immediate removal of questions he deemed suspicious and divisive from the census list. Additionally, Vijayan criticized the UDF government in Kerala for its silence on the matter and suggested that the Congress party's stance on the NPR is unclear.