An opposition MP has called for a parliamentary debate on a plan to keep records of the religious and cultural ideas of people with roots in other countries, after several parties which backed the motion later expressed doubts and there is disagreement in the cabinet.

Meanwhile, a petition calling for the motion to be rescinded has now been signed by over 62,000 people.

A week ago, a large majority of MPs voted for a motion requiring government bodies to research and record the “cultural and religious” values held by Dutch nationals with roots in other countries.

Esmah Lahlah, who represents the GroenLinks-PvdA alliance, says the debate is needed to clarify the cabinet’s position. “We need clarity about this distasteful idea,” Lahlah said on social media.

Junior social affairs minister Jurgen Nobel, who is in charge of integration issues, earlier endorsed the motion, drawn up by VVD MP Bente Becker, but junior justice minister Teun Struycken said on Sunday that he had doubts about the plan.

“I was shocked about it,” Struycken, who represents the NSC in the cabinet, told a television talk show. “It is worrying… general information about religious beliefs is already researched… but if you are talking specifically about people with migration roots, then it is going too far… this boils down to discrimination.”

Prime minister Dick Schoof said last week that the cabinet would not be specifically recording the “norms and values” of people living in the Netherlands who have roots abroad, despite a parliamentary vote in favour of the idea.

However, the information could become part of research carried out by the SCP advisory body every five years, the prime minister said.

The three Christian parties and the Socialists sided with the right-wing government to back the motion but three of them have since backtracked on the idea following the public outcry.

For example, ChristenUnie, which voted in favour, has now said it would “think more carefully” about the possible impact of such a vote if it happened again. The SP has also backpedalled.