Over half of C'garh population won't make it to NRC if rolled out: Baghel

With the Centre expressing its intention of implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the country, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that over half of the state's population will not be able to prove citizenship in case the NRC is implemented, as they neither have land nor land records.

Raipur (Chhattisgarh): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said that over half of the state's population will not be able to prove citizenship in case the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is implemented, as they neither have land nor land records.

He also said that half of the population in Chhattisgarh does not possess documents to prove their citizenship as their ancestors were illiterate.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Raipur, Baghel reiterated that the way Mahatma Gandhi had opposed the identification scheme of the British in Africa in 1906, he will oppose the NRC exercise.

Asked if people will have to stand in queues, as happened during demonetisation, to prove their citizenship once the NRC is implemented, Baghel said, "Indeed, we will have to prove that we are Indians. How will they accommodate those who are not able to prove their citizenship?"

"In Chhattisgarh, there are 2.80 crore people and more than half of them will not be able to prove their citizenship. They neither have land records nor land. Their forefathers were illiterate. Most of them migrated to other villages or states. From where will they bring the 50-100 years old document," he asked.

"This is just an unnecessary burden on people. We have several agencies to check infiltration in the country. The agencies can take action against the infiltrators. Why are they (Centre) troubling the common public," he said.

Likening the NRC to the identification scheme implemented in South Africa, the chief minister said, "Mahatma Gandhi had opposed the identification scheme of Britishers in Africa. Similarly, we will oppose the NRC and I have already announced that if it is implemented, I will be the first one to not sign the NRC document."

Apart from NRC, Baghel had also criticised the NDA government over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to religiously persecuted non- Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.