Kozhikode (Keralam) | CPI(M) leader P A Muhammad Riyas on Saturday said strong vigilance was necessary against the reported move of Union government to link birth and death registration data with Aadhaar, voter lists, ration cards and educational admissions.

In a Facebook post, MLA Riyas said a situation where birth certificates become key documents determining a citizen's rights in future could seriously affect ordinary people and marginalised sections.

Riyas also expressed concern about the reported move to collect details, including parents' places of birth and religions, as part of the Census process.

He questioned whether the exercise was aimed at implementing the National Population Register (NPR) and subsequently the National Register of Citizens (NRC) under the guise of the Census.

The collection of personal data of citizens and linking it with various systems posed a major challenge to privacy and federal principles, he said.

Allowing people to be segregated on the basis of documents and denied rights would be a blow to the Indian Constitution, Riyas said.

He called for democratic resistance to protect constitutional values and citizens' rights.