Former Minister and ex-Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has strongly condemned Home Minister Mahmood Ali’s announcement that Telangana Government would implement National Population Register (NPR) in the new format.

Addressing a massive ‘Mushaira’ held against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), NRC and NPR at Quli Qutub Shah Stadium on Monday night, Shabbir Ali reiterated the allegation that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao was a BJP agent and his government was implementing CAA, NRC and NPR in Telangana. He said that the TRS opposing the CAB in Parliament was only an eye-wash to mislead the people, especially the Muslims. Similarly, he said that proposed resolution in Assembly opposing the CAA would be another move to cheat the people. “If TRS was really opposed to CAA, then what is preventing KCR from making an open announcement that CAA, NRC and NPR would not be implemented in Telangana?” he asked.

Shabbir Ali strongly condemned Home Minister Mahmood Ali for announcing that NPR would be implemented in Telangana with six additional questions that require people to report the date and place of birth of their parents during the NPR survey. He reminded that it was the Congress-led UPA Government which had launched the population register in 2010. It was simple form with 21 basic questions and no community or individual had any objection to it. However, the BJP Government made it contentious by adding six new parameters which includes Aadhaar number of the resident, Voter ID, PAN, driving license number and mobile phone and date and place of birth of parents and the last place of residence. “Before asking people, first let KCR and Mahmood Ali tell the date of birth of their parents and furnish documents to prove it,” he said.

He said all Congress-ruled States have openly announced that they would not implement CAA, NRC and NPR. “Why KCR is not having guts to make a similar announcement in Telangana?” he asked.