Telangana State joins anti-CAA brigade

Hyderabad: Telangana Government will join the league of Kerala, Rajasthan and Punjab in passing a resolution in the State Assembly opposing Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rethink on the controversial Act.

Talking to media at press conference to thank the voters for giving a massive majority to the TRS in the municipal elections, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said that the Government of India had committed a grave mistake by passing the CAA. TRS was a truly secular party and was a party with conviction. Hence it had opposed the Bill in Parliament.

Since the Centre was insisting to go ahead with implementation of the Bill, he would take the lead in mobilising like-minded parties and groups and organise massive protests, he announced.

KCR said in next one month's time, he would organise a huge conclave of all regional party Chief Ministers at Hyderabad to discuss the Act and explain how it was harmful to the secular fabric of society. He said such acts were not good for the country's future. He even felt that the Supreme Court should quash the Act.

The Chief Minister also made it clear that he was a man who was not scared of anyone and would doggedly pursue what he believes is right. He said if need be, he would organise a massive meeting with about 10 lakh people and take up Bharat Yatra to mobilise support against the CAA.

Recalling the agitation for separate Telangana, he said he started as a one-man army and faced several insults but at the end, he succeeded because he fought for a right cause in a right manner.

He said the TRS was opposed to the CAA because the new law would isolate Muslims. The Constitution gives fundamental rights to all citizens irrespective of caste, creed and religion and that needs to be protected at any cost.

KCR said he was very pained to hear the comment made at Davos by Billionaire George Soros about rising nationalism in India which he felt was a big setback for the country. Rao appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do a rethink on the CAA in view of the sentiments and mood of the people in the country.

He further said that the documents submitted by Home Ministry states that the National Population Register (NPR) is the first step towards the National Register of Citizens (NRC) but the Union Home Minister Amit Shah claims that there was no connection.

Shah said the CAA that has been enacted by Parliament recently "is aimed at distinguishing illegal migrants on the basis of religion".