NPR and NRC are tax on poor : Gandhi at Raipur airport

RAIPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday likened the National Population Register (NPR) and National Register for Citizens (NRC) exercises to demonetisation, and said they akin to imposing “tax” on the poor who don’t have documents to prove their citizenship.

“Whether NPR or NRC, it is a tax on poor people of the country… You understand demonestisation… it was a tax on poor people. They said that go to banks and give your money but do not withdraw money from your account. The entire money went to the pocket of 15-20 rich people. This (NPR or NRC) is the same thing,” Gandhi said, while addressing the media at the Raipur airport in Chhattisgarh.

“It is an attack on the people,” he added.

Earlier, while speaking at the inaugural function of the three-day ‘National Tribal Dance Festival, 2019’ in Raipur, Gandhi said: “You know the condition of the country. What is happening in other states...? You all know the problem of farmers’ suicide, deteriorating condition of the economy, unemployment…I would like to say that without taking people from every religion, every caste, tribals, Dalits and backwards together, the economy of the country cannot be run.” He claimed that while the GDP had fallen to 4% from 9%, as measured by the new method, it would actually be 2.5% if the old method was applied.

Gandhi also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “India is reeling under violence; women are not allowed to roam freely on roads and the unemployment rate is at a 45-year high. But PM is not able to understand it. Apparently, he is not able to understand what happened and how it happened.”

The BJP however claimed that Gandhi was misleading the people. “He is confused about the NRC and the NPR and he speech is also scripted .. He is spreading the same confusion as he did during demonetisation,” said Gauri Shankar Shirvas, spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Later in the day, Union minister Prakash Javadekar too hit back at the Congress leader saying: “Today Rahul Gandhi said that NPR is a tax on the poor. I was thinking where did this tax come from? NPR is a population register which will have the details of people submitted by them. Tax is the culture of Congress, Jayanti tax, coal tax, 2G tax, Jijaji tax. Corruption is the base of Congress’ politics and therefore any move which can end corruption is opposed by them.”