Manipur’s ruling BJP on August 31 said the Centre had deferred the census exercise in the state after considering public concerns, including demands for an update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Addressing a press conference at the state BJP office, party president A Sharda Devi said the government was taking a step-by-step approach to the NRC demand and would address public concerns in consultation with the state and central governments.
“The census exercise has been deferred. The government is taking a step-by-step process on the demand of the NRC,” said Devi, who is also Manipur’s lone Rajya Sabha MP.
The demand for an NRC before the census has been raised by civil society groups amid concerns among sections of the Meitei and Naga communities over illegal migration and its potential impact on the state’s demographic balance.
Devi said the decision to defer the census was taken after considering the grievances of the people and in what the government viewed as their interests.
Meanwhile, state Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam appealed to the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) to withdraw its proposed 24-hour general strike, which began at midnight on August 31, citing the hardships faced by the people.
