It was the white regime that tried to force Indians to do this, Rajamohan Gandhi said (File)
Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi on Saturday termed the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise as ''undemocratic, very strange and cruel.''
The people should not be forced to register themselves in their own country, said Gandhi while speaking to reporters.
Mr Gandhi said that Bapu's first ''satyagraha'' in South Africa was against forced registration of Indian citizens and compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi government with the British regime.
"Idea of forcing people to register themselves in their own country is very strange. It is a very undemocratic idea. It is a cruel idea to ask people to prove that they or their parents are Indian nationals. This is something that no country does," he said.
"It was the white regime that tried to force Indians to do this," he added.
Arguing his case, Rajmohan further said: "If somebody is in India to do something wrong, then the government should find out ... Forced registration is completely unacceptable."
Asserting that Indian citizens should be respected, Rajmohan, a historian and research scholar, said that a "good" movement is needed to be launched to strengthen the democratic rights of the people.
"A united movement of all people for democratic rights, equality and mutual respect!" he said.
"India does not belong to any particular community. India belongs to everyone. India should show to the world that equality and mutual respect, mutual friendship is possible. That should be our aim," said he.
"NRC is not necessary at all in my opinion," he added.