Arundhati Roy Photo Credit: IANS Author Arundhati Roy

Key Highlights Arundhati Roy asked people to lie to the authorities who would come for the NPR process

Arundhati Roy alleged that the NRC was targeted against the Muslims of the country

The writer also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi while accusing him of "lying" on the matter of the NRC

New Delhi: Writer and activist Arundhati Roy on Wednesday stoked controversy when she asked people to oppose the National Population Register (NPR), which according to her will serve as a database for the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

While addressing a protest gathering at the Delhi University, she asked people to lie to the authorities who would come for the NPR process.

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"They will visit your homes, take your name, phone number and ask for documents like Aadhaar and driving licences. The NPR will become a database for NRC."

"We need to fight against it and have a plan. When they visit your home for NPR, and ask for your name give them some different name. We will decide on five names, such as Ranga Billa, Kung Fu kutta...For address, say 7 Race Course Road. A lot of subversions will be needed, we are not born to face lathis and bullets," she told the gathering.

She alleged that the NRC was targeted against the Muslims of the country.

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She also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi while accusing him of "lying" on the matter of the NRC during a rally at Ramlila Ground on Sunday.

"He told the lie knowing that it will be caught but still he lied because he has media with him which will not question him."

Arundhati Roy is not new to controversies. In 2010, the author of 'The God of Small Things' had claimed that Jammu and Kashmir is not an "integral part of India". The Home Ministry had then asked the Delhi Police to file a case of sedition against her.

Meanwhile, the Opposition is making all the efforts to hit out at the Centre over the NPR. Albeit the Home Ministry has made it clear that the NPR originated in 2011 during the then UPA's rule and has no link with the National Register of Citizens, the Congress has alleged that the NPR exercise conducted in 2011 was totally different and the 2020 NPR is intended to lead on to the NRC.

In a tweet, Congress leader Ajay Maken said: "As MOS Home in 2010,I supervised the NPR! But Modi-Shah 2020 NPR is Totally Different. Please see 2010 & 2020 NPR Forms. 2020 Version adds: 1)Date Place of Birth of Parents 2) Last Place of Residence 3)Aadhaar ID 4) Driving Licence No 5) Voter ID 6) Mobile No.Thus, NPR2020NRC."

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As per the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, the NPR "is a Register of usual residents of the country", which is "prepared at the local (village/sub-town), sub-district, district, state and national level under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003".

"It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. A usual resident is defined for the purposes of NPR as a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more," it added.