Though Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been silent over the implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state despite mounting pressure from his ally AIMIM, Home Minister Mahmood Ali has said that NRC will not be implemented the state.
Addressing a gathering at Makthal on Tuesday, the Home Minister said, “I assure you that there won’t be any NRC, there’s not even a second thought on it. We will live peacefully. There won’t be any trouble.”
#CAA_NRC_Protests- #Telangana Home Min @TrsMahmoodAli assures ‘NO NRC in State.’ He goes on to say that he told Union Min @naqvimukhtar that ‘Hindus from across the World who are being oppressed can be given citizenship, but don’t create a problem to the people in India.’. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/2pPm9GWzb8
— Rishika Sadam (@RishikaSadam) January 14, 2020
However, with the Chief Minister yet to explicitly comment on the issue, it is unclear if the Home Minister’s words will be seen though and Telangana will defy the Centre and not implement NRC.
Mahmood Ali also said when he met Union Minister Mukthar Abbas Naqvi in Telangana earlier this week, he conveyed to him that they don’t have any problem in offering citizenship to Hindu refugees. “Not just Pakistan and Bangladesh, across the world wherever Hindu brothers are facing persecution they should be given refuge, because this is India. But don’t create problems for Indian citizens who have been living here for decades. Who keeps birth certificates? This will only cause mayhem and halt the progress,” he said.
The TRS had voted against Citizenship Amendment Bill (now Act) calling it discriminatory and unconstitutional. However, unlike Kerala government which has opposed CAA’s implementation in the state and further approached the Supreme Court, the Telangana government has not categorically stated whether it would oppose implementation of CAA, NPR and NRC in the state.
The TRS-led government has been careful in its approach regarding opposing the CAA, avoiding direct confrontation with the BJP, which has been aggressive in its attack against the ruling party after winning four MP seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
TRS working president, Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development and KCR’s son, KT Rama Rao earlier in December had said that they will take a decision on NPR and NRC when the Centre sends it to the State.