We are not against 2020 census: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President, Maulana Arshad Madani while speaking to the press said that they are not against the 2020 census as long as it is conducted in the same way in which the 2010 census was conducted and remain aloof from the NPR. He also said that the Jamiat is against the CAA because it is a law brought against the guidelines of the Constitution which violate the rights of the country's largest minority.

Mumbai:The country's Muslim population is not opposed to the census and the 2020 census should be conducted in the same way in which the 2010 census was conducted. But, the law called NPR (National Population Register) that is being implemented in various states of the country and promoted in the name of the census, is unacceptable in its present form and should be rejected forcibly because with the addition of some new points to it, a large number of the citizens may find it difficult to provide details and evidence, and the survey officer may also misuse the authority to declare someone a suspicious citizen. In relation to this, a dialogue will be arranged soon, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President, Maulana Arshad Madani, said this during a press conference here in Mumbai.

Ahead of the Save Democracy conference to be held on February 23 at Azad Maidan, Maulana Arshad Madani, while addressing a press conference held at Marathi Patrakar Sangh in Mumbai, said that the attitude of the central government was very vague and equivocal with the new look of the NPR, which is why it is being questioned by the citizens. Various concerns are being expressed regarding the current version of the NPR that is why it should be rejected. Maulana Madani added that the current form of the NPR is, in fact, the first step of the NRC, and therefore it has space to provide for some new information which is a difficult step for the general public. He further said that after strong protests and opposition from opposition parties, the Home Ministry has assured Parliament that the government has no intention of bringing NRC into the country as of yet.

Maulana Madani said that if there is no intention of the government then it should be stated clearly in the Parliament that NRC will never be implemented in the country but the govt has made a deliberate attempt to mislead the masses.

He also said that under a deliberate strategy, the NPR is being revamped and if it would be implemented in its current form and then like Assam, Circle officers in other states would have the option of declaring any citizen as a 'doubtful', or a suspicious citizen. He said that the game had been played in Assam before the NRC was implemented. Where people were deprived of their right to vote by labelling them as D voters (doubtful voters).

Maulana Madani accused the central government of trying to use the NPR in its present form, to play the game they played in Assam all over the country. 'If that happens, citizens will have the option of referring to the Foreign Tribunal but to prove their citizenship there, may prove to be an uphill task as the tribunal will also contain the people from the government'.

He said that we are against the CAA because it is a law brought against the guidelines of the Constitution which violate the rights of the country's largest minority and The NPR is unacceptable to us because it is quite clear that the BJP government through this law wants to tamper with the citizenship rights of the citizens. On the other hand it wants to increase its vote bank by burning the country in a fire of hatred.

The president of the Jamiat Ulema while referring to the Save Democracy Conference to be held on February 23 at the historic Azad Maidan of Mumbai said that the Jamiat Ulema is holding this meeting in Mumbai after the Uttar Pradesh government did not allow to hold a meeting in Deoband. He said that it is for the first time that the government denied permission for the meeting.

He added that the Jamiat will decide its further action plan in relation of citizenship amendment law after a meeting of its board of directors and the same will be announced at the meeting to be held at Azad Maidan.