Chidambaram Video On NPR: BJP Puts Congress In A Spot

In an attempt to embarrass the Congress, National spokesperson of the BJP, Sambit Patra posted a 2010 video on his Twitter timeline in which former Home Minister P Chidambaram is seen describing the National Population Register (NPR) exercise. In the video shared by the BJP spokesman, Chidambaram speaking at the Rashtrapati Bhavan is heard saying that "for the first time in human history an exercise of this kind of beginning to identify, count, enumerate, record and eventually issue an ID card to 120 crore people" is being undertaken. The former home minister goes on to say that "an exercise of this kind has not been attempted anywhere else in the world."

Trying to turn the tables on the Congress for its opposition to the CAA and NRC and amidst reservations being expressed on the NPR exercise, Patra posted this video.

Meanwhile, Union minister Prakash Javadekar, in his media briefing following the Cabinet meeting, also clarified that the NPR was initiated under the UPA regime. He added that it was a population register and not a citizens' register. The Narendra Modi cabinet on Tuesday decided to update the NPR even as pan-Indian protests have been raging over CAA.