Imphal | BJP’s Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra on Wednesday welcomed the Centre’s decision to defer the 2027 Census in Manipur, describing it as the fulfilment of a key demand raised by people in the state.

Patra arrived in Imphal on Wednesday to attend 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 taken note of the concerns expressed by people in Manipur and had acted on their demand for postponement of the census exercise.

“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.

He said the decision followed discussions at a recent high-level meeting in New Delhi chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, which was attended by Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. Patra also credited Manipur MLAs and civil society organisations with raising the issue and pressing for the deferment of the census

NRC demand to be considered separately

On the demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur, Patra said the census deferment should be viewed as an important first step, while the NRC issue would be dealt with separately.

“The NRC process will be taken in due course of time,” he said. According to Patra, any decision on the NRC would be taken at the level of the Union Home Ministry. The BJP leader urged people in Manipur to view the Centre’s decision to defer the census as a significant development, saying it reflected the government’s response to concerns raised by different sections of society.

The deferment of the 2027 Census has emerged as a major issue in Manipur, with sections of civil society and political leaders seeking postponement amid concerns over the state’s demographic situation.