Imphal, Aug. 23 -- The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has opposed demands for a National Register of Citizens (NRC) to be conducted in Manipur before the Census, calling the demand "premature and unjustified".

In a statement issued on August 23, the KZC welcomed the decennial Census and said verified population data was needed to address competing claims over demographics in the state. It also backed delimitation based on authenticated Census data, saying it would help ensure fair representation.

The Census, originally scheduled for 2021, was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The KZC said the NRC was a national exercise and that neither a community nor a State government could independently determine its timing or implementation in Mani...