The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the updation of the NPR at a cost of Rs. 3,941.35 crore.
Amid opposition from states over National Population Register (NPR), Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the exercise has no link with the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
At least two states - Kerala and West Bengal - have said ordered a stay on all activities in relation to updation of the NPR amid fears that it would lead to NRC.
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the updation of the National Population Register (NPR) and allotted Rs 3,941.35 crore for it.
Speaking to ANI, Shah appealed to chief ministers of Kerala and West Bengal, Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee respectively, to review their decision.
"I humbly appeal to both Chief Ministers again, don't take such a step and please review your decisions, don't keep the poor out of development programs just for your politics," Shah said.
Clarifying further, the Home Minister said anyone whose name is not in the NPR will not lose their citizenship.
"It is possible that some names are missed in the NPR, still their citizenship will not be revoked because this is not the process of NRC. The NRC is a different process. I want to make it clear that nobody will lose citizenship because of NPR," he said.
Echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the NRC, Shah said, "There is no need to debate this( pan-India NRC) as there is no discussion on it right now, PM Modi was right, there is no discussion on it yet either in the Cabinet or Parliament."
His remarks came amid massive protests have over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act and repeated statements by BJP leaders including Shah himself regarding a need for a nationwide NRC.
Earlier on Sunday, the prime minister had said that the opposition was "spreading false information" over NRC.
"I want to tell the 130 crore citizens of India that since my government has come to power, since 2014, there has been no discussion on NRC anywhere. Only after the Supreme Court's order, this exercise was done for Assam," he said.
When asked if there was lack of communication from the government on CAA, Shah said, "Kuch to khaami rahi hogi, mujhe sweekar karne mein dikkat nahi hai, magar Parliament ka mera bhashan dekh lijiye, usme maine sab spasht kiya hai ke is se kisi bhi minority ki nagrikta jaane ka sawaal nahi hai (There might have been some laxity, I don't mind accepting that. But watch my speech in the Parliament, I have clearly said that there is no question of taking away any minority's citizenship.)"
The new law promises citizenship to "illegal immigrants" belonging to minority communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled religious persecution in the three countries.
While critics say that the law is against the secular nature of the Indian Constitution and clubbed with the NRC may be misused to strip away some Muslims' citizenship in the country.
The BJP, however, has argued that the law has nothing to do with India's Muslims and only helps those who fled religious persecution in the neighbouring countries.
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 "Amit Shah speaking to ANI")
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