both the exercises taxed poor and if NRC is implemented, poor will suffer the most as they will have to pay bribes to correct mistakes made during the enumeration, he says.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday equated the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR) with the demonetisation of November 2016. He said both the exercises taxed the poor and if the NRC was implemented across India, the poor would suffer the most as they would have to pay bribes to correct any mistakes made during the enumeration.

“Whether NPR or NRC, it is a tax on the poor people of the country. You understand demonetisation. It was a tax on poor people. Go to banks and give your money but do not withdraw money from your account. Entire money went to the pocket of 15-20 rich people. This [NPR or NRC] is the same thing,” he told reporters at Raipur airport.

The Congress has maintained that the NPR, for which the government approved a budget last week, is a precursor to the NRC. More so after key changes were made in the questionnaire prepared by the Home Ministry for the NPR. The Congress had also started the NPR but they are claiming that their NPR was limited to enumerating ‘usual residents’ and didn’t tackle the citizenship question, which the present NPR allegedly would, with intrusive questions.

Mr. Gandhi said, “Poor people will have to go to officers and show their documents and give bribe. They will have to give a bribe if there is a slight mistake in their names. Crores of rupees will be pulled out of the pockets of the poor and will be given to the same 15 people. This is the truth. It is an attack on people.”

He also attacked the government for the economic slowdown. The rate of growth had declined from nine % to nearly four % as per the changed technique to assessing the GDP. “But if we measure the growth rate through the old method, then it will just be 2.50 %. Poor people are asking that after robbing them of their entire money, what have they got [in return],” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to understand the crisis the country was going through with the ongoing violent protests, crime against women and 45-year high unemployment rates, he said. “He is merely wasting the time of the country. Apparently, he is not able to understand what happened and how it happened.”

“The money of poor people and farmers have been snatched after demonetisation. Ten to 15 people of the country had benefited with ₹3.50 lakh crore...Nobody is buying anything and factories are getting shut. It’s simple economics. It seems the Prime Minister is not able to understand it,” he said.

Celebrating tribes

Earlier, speaking at the inaugural function of the three-day ‘National Tribal Dance Festival, 2019’ in Raipur, Mr. Gandhi said farmers and tribal people were the major drivers of the economy, and unless the marginalised and different religions were heeded and unity weaved around diversity, the economic crisis would continue and no jobs created.

“Without taking everyone along, the economy can’t be revived. Every thought and voice must be included in the running of governments, and the Chhattisgarh government is doing precisely that. It has exemplified unity in diversity,” Mr. Gandhi said. He applauded the Chattisgarh government for maintaining law and order.

The three-day festival 'National Tribal Dance Festival, 2019' will see performances from 1,800 dancers from across India and six nations.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel said the State, which had 32% tribal population, had many unique traditions and cultures. “It’s our duty to protect their cultures and we have done that. On the one hand, we have won the confidence of farmers and on the other, we have successfully won the hearts of tribal people,” he added.