Cong, BJP slam Arundhati Roy over her remarks on NPR

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has hit back at author Arundhati Roy over her remarks that the National Population Register (NPR) would serve as a database for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and her asking people to oppose it by giving wrong names.

"What nonsense is Arundhati Roy speaking! It's one thing to ask people to refuse to participate in the NPR, but to ask them to give out incorrect details is completely wrong. Who does she think she is! We don't need unsolicited advice from someone who insults our Indian Army," Congress media panelist Shama Mohamed said in a tweet.

Her remarks came after Roy, while speaking at a protest venue in Delhi University on Wednesday, had said that the NPR would serve as a database for the NRC and asked people to oppose it by furnishing wrong names and addresses.

Roy claimed that NRC was against the Muslims of the country and that those conducting the survey would visit the homes of people in the garb of taking names for the NPR and then use the data to create a database for the NRC.

"We need to fight it [NPR]. When they visit your home for NPR and ask for your name, give them some different names like Ranga-Billa or Kungfu-Kutta and also give wrong address like 7, Race Course Road [the Prime Minister's residence]. A lot of subversion will be needed," Roy said.

Slamming the Booker Prize winner author, BJP leader Uma Bharti in a series of tweets said 'Ranga-Billa' were two hardcore criminals who made headlines in the 70s because of the brutal rape-murder of a young girl and her brother. Bharti said that while speaking about the NPR, Arundhati could only remember the names of criminals such as Ranga and Billa and not great men like Ashfaqullah Khan or Ramprasad Bismil.

"I am ashamed to take the name of such a woman who idolises people like Ranga-Billa. Her views are not only anti-women, anti-humanity, but also shows a very disgusting mentality," said Uma Bharti in her tweets.

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too crticised Roy and said: "If this is the kind of intellectual we have in this country, then first we should get a register of these people... Arundhati Roy should be ashamed of herself. If such statements are not betraying the nation, what is?"IANS