MPCC terms Chief Minister’s NRC remark misleading

Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Vice President Hareshwar Goswami today criticised Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand’s recent statement on the National Register of Citizens (NRC), terming it “misleading” and asserting that the conduct of a Census is not a prerequisite for updating the NRC.
Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan on BT Road, Goswami clarified that the NRC is updated under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, whereas the Census is conducted under the Census Act, 1948, and the two processes are governed by separate legal frameworks. He stated that linking the NRC exercise to the Census creates confusion among the public.
Coming down strongly on the Chief Minister, the MPCC leader said that those in positions of authority should avoid making statements that could misinform people on critical policy matters.
Referring to the experience of Assam, Goswami pointed out that the NRC in that state was updated using the 1951 census as a base document, along with other admissible records, indicating that a fresh Census is not a mandatory precondition for the process.
He further alleged inconsistencies within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the issue. Goswami noted that in November 2019, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced in the Rajya Sabha that the NRC would be updated across the country. However, he contrasted this with a statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2019 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, where the Prime Minister said that there was no discussion on implementing NRC nationwide.
Goswami also referred to a statement made in February 2019 by then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh during an Assembly session, in which it was stated that a recommendation for updating the NRC had been forwarded to the Union government. He questioned why the issue of conducting a Census prior to NRC was not raised at that time, terming the current stance as contradictory, particularly since both the former and present leadership in the state belong to the same political party.
Reiterating the Congress party’s position, Goswami stated that the party has consistently supported the updating of the NRC and rejected claims suggesting otherwise. He maintained that misinformation regarding Congress’s stand should be revisited in light of factual records.
Highlighting the ongoing crisis in Manipur, he alleged that illegal migration has been a contributing factor and asserted that updating the NRC remains a key mechanism for identifying undocumented migrants.
Goswami concluded by stating that the Congress party stands with the people of the state and will continue to press for measures it believes are necessary to address the situation.