Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Sunday said he would not fill up the National Register of Citizens (NRC) form, adding that the proposed NRC and the National Population Register (NPR) were against the "poor people and minorities" of the country. Yadav was speaking at a press conference at the SP headquarters in Lucknow. "The question is whether we want NRC or employment? If the need arises, I will be the first person to not fill up any form. Will you support me or not? If we do not fill up the form, we will be thrown out. I will not fill up the form. You tell me, will you fill up the form or not?" Yadav was quoted by PTI as saying. Also Read | Ravi Shankar Prasad: Need for NPR because Census detail can’t be made public to any authority "Be it the NPR or the NRC, these are against the poor people, minorities and Muslims of the country," he added. Yadav also said the policemen who are "wielding lathis" on protesters today will also have to produce their documents. "I would like to tell the policemen who are wielding lathis on people that the certificates of their mothers and fathers will also be sought," PTI quoted the SP chief as saying. Yadav said the CAA and NRC were a ploy to divert public attention from the poor state of the country's economy. "During demonetisation, the government had said corruption will end, but that proved to be untrue. Due to demonetisation, a number of banks closed down, while the GST (Goods and Services Tax) ruined businesses. The condition is such that the country's economy has come out of the ICU and gone to the ICCU," Yadav said. The SP chief also said that while his government had given young people laptops, the BJP was taking them to the toilet. After video on SP saying ‘go to Pak’, locals fear backlash; senior officer backs team "During the days of the SP government (in Uttar Pradesh), youngsters got laptops while the BJP is taking them towards toilets. Understand the difference," he said. Uttar Pradesh has seen the most violent CAA and NRC protests, with 19 people dead and thousands arrested and detained. There have been allegations of the police using "brutal force" against protesters and targetting Muslim neighbourhoods.
