Manipur census deferment: ‘First demand is met’, says BJP's Sambit Patra; NRC to follow

BJP North-East in-charge Sambit Patra on September 2 welcomed the Centre's decision to defer the 2027 Census in Manipur, saying the move addresses a key demand raised by people in the state.

Patra arrived in Imphal today for a high-level party meeting and was received by Rajya Sabha MP A Sharda and other BJP leaders, including K Sharat, P Premananda and Deben.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the meeting, Patra said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a special concern for Manipur and had taken note of the concerns raised by people in the state.

He thanked Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for agreeing to defer the census exercise following requests from people in Manipur.

“I would like to express my thankfulness to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for deferring the Census after the request from the people of the state,” Patra said.

Patra also referred to a recent high-level meeting in New Delhi chaired by Shah, where the issue was discussed in the presence of Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.

He also acknowledged the role of MLAs and civil society organisations in pushing for the postponement of the census exercise.

On demands for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Patra said the deferment of the census was an important step and that the NRC issue would be considered separately.

“The NRC process will be taken in due course of time,” he said, adding that the decision would be taken at the level of the Union Home Ministry.

Patra urged people to view the postponement of the census as a significant development, saying the decision had been taken in response to concerns raised in the state.