E-Paper
BJP using Citizenship Act, NRC to divert attention from serious issues, says Sharad Pawar in Pune
78-year-old Maratha leader added that it was not just the minorities but those who are concerned about the country are opposing CAA and NRC
The Centre is using the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) to divert attention from serious issues the country is facing, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Saturday.
Sharad Pawar said by allowing persecuted minorities only from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, the Centre is trying to disturb religious and social harmony in India.
“Perhaps those in power know such moves will invite strong reaction in the country so that attention will be diverted from real issues like economic slowdown,” Pawar said during a press conference in Pune.
The 78-year-old Maratha leader added that it was not just the minorities but those who are concerned about the country are opposing CAA and NRC.
He questioned the Centre’s move to citizenship under the amended law only to migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and not the Sri Lankan Tamils and said it is perhaps being done keeping a specific community in mind.
Pawar’s comments come a day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi charged the BJP-led national coalition of unleashing “brute repression” and ignoring the voice of the those protesting the amended citizenship law.
His statements also come against the backdrop of violent protests in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, where more than a dozen people have been killed during clashes with the police during anti-CAA protests.
Violence has also been reported from the northeastern states, especially Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra and on the border of Karnataka and Kerala.
Pawar also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of creating a difference between the Centre and states by “imposing” acts like CAA.
“The CAA may be a central act but the implementation will be done by the state agencies. But do the states have resources and machinery to do so,” he asked.
The NCP chief also cited opposition to CAA and NRC even by states where political parties in power are members of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Eight states, including Bihar which is ruled by the NDA’s ally Janata Dal (United), have refused to implement the law.
“The Maharashtra government should take a stand in line with eight states that have opposed NRC. I am going to discuss the issue with CM Uddhav Thackeray,” Pawar said.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Friday that his government will protect the rights of people from all castes and religions. Thackeray’s reaction came after parts of the state witnessed violence over CAA.
On the implementation of CAA in Maharashtra, the chief minister has already said his government will await a ruling from the Supreme Court where some organisations have already challenged the act.
Thackeray’s Shiv Sena had supported the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the Lok Sabha but it chose to abstain from voting in the Rajya Sabha after Congress, which shares power with Sena in the state, strongly opposed it.
The amended law seeks to provide citizenship to illegal migrants from Buddhist, Hindu, Sikhs, Jain, Parsi and Christian faiths, who have come to India from the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, on or before December 31, 2014.
Opposition parties and civil society say the law is unconstitutional because it links faith to citizenship and discriminatory because it omits Islam.
