CM KCR rejects Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rethink on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), saying that it was “not at all good for the country”.

Putting the BJP-led NDA government on notice for bringing about the legislation, Chandrashekhar Rao, addressing the media here, said TRS was a secular party that believed in the constitutional proclamation of not discriminating on the basis of any religion, caste or creed. “We are a happy and peaceful country, but the atmosphere is being vitiated by such divisive policies of BJP. Yes, we did extend merit-based support to the NDA government on certain issues such as the abrogation of Article 370, which was an issue of national integrity. But, the CAA is a regressive move and we will oppose it tooth and nail as we did in Parliament when the Bill was introduced,” the Chief Minister asserted.

“I am already in touch with other Chief Ministers who are opposed to the CAA, and leaders of like-minded parties. If necessary, I will take the lead and invite all of them for a meeting in Hyderabad soon to chalk out a course of action to fight this legislation, which is divisive and destroying the country. We will fight it. We are not scared of anyone or any party,” he said. The Chief Minister also said it was a matter of concern that the CAA was discriminatory as it left out a particular religion from its ambit.

Chandrashekhar Rao said the State Assembly, likely to be convened in the first half of February for the Monsoon session, would pass a resolution against the



CAA if necessary and send it to the Centre. “The country is already facing myriad problems, including a sinking economy and related issues. Instead of resolving these issues, the BJP government is trying to create a divide with the CAA,” he said. “Religion has nothing to do with politics, and I am very secular in my approach. I am a staunch Hindu who performs mega yagas, but I do it openly. If BJP wants to be involved in religion, let them establish mutts for that,” he said.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that even the Central Ministers lacked clarity on the CAA, NRC and NPR, and were speaking different languages. “Many of their statements are self-contradictory, with one Minister saying disclosure of all details would be mandatory. Another, for example Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy, says it would be voluntary disclosure,” Chandrashekhar Rao said.

He said such policies of BJP would ensure that the people of the country reject the party in the next elections. “I am confident that the Federal Front will form the government at the Centre after the next elections because both Congress and BJP proved to be failures and could not achieve anything that is good for the nation,” he said.

BJP should try to integrate the country rather than divide it. “The party already lost several States and is sure of losing Delhi too. The entire country is opposed to your divisive politics,” he said, and advised that they resort to mid-course correction. “There is nothing wrong with that,” he said.