On Monday, the Telangana State Assembly passed a resolution opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). The resolution was moved by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and was almost adopted unanimously except for BJP’s T Raja Singh protesting against it, reported The Economic Times.
The resolution urged the Centre to “remove all references to any religion or to any foreign country” in the CAA and expressed “concern over the proposed implementation of the National Popuation Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) which may result in the exclusion of a large number of people.” It also said that “there are valid concerns as to the legality and constitutionality of NPR and NRC.”
Objecting to the trend of calling anti-CAA-NPR-NRC protestors ‘Pakistani agents’ or ‘traitors’, he said, “Can you call the Telangana assembly a traitor for passing the resolution?”
Livemint also reported that the CM said the Act and two processes (NPR and NRC) were being used to “tinker with the inclusive and non-religious nature of citizenship.”
While addressing the Assembly as the resolution was being passed, he said that the implementation of the CAA-NPR-NRC will violate the principles of equality, non-discrimination and secularism, further adding that a “concerted attempt would also endanger the lives of vulnerable groups who did not possess documentary proof of citizenship.”
He also said, “Telangana plays an active role in nation building. We contribute a lot in taxes to the Centre. We have a responsibility to the nation as it is a question of our country’s future. We have a very strong reason to oppose the CAA,” The News Minute reported.
Saying that women, marginalized and underprivileged would be the most affected by it, he told, “The unfortunate thing with the CAA is that it is isolating Muslims. Our constitution doesn’t permit that and it is not with its framework. That is why we are opposing. We urge upon the Centre to review the decision. We are ready to support them as far as the nation is concerned.”
Condemning the ‘shoot the traitors’ slogan that was widely used by members of the ruling central government KCR, as he is popularly known, said, “Instead of focusing on farmers issues, unemployment and access to water, if they raise such issues, where will the country go? It is not a Hindu problem or a Muslim problem. It is the country’s problem.”
Telangana has now joined West Bengal, Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi and Bihar which too have passed a resolution against the same.
Related:
Delhi Assembly passes resolution against NPR
Bihar resolves not to implement NRC