Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao announced that a resolution would be passed in Telangana State Legislative Assembly opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan after his party’s historic victory in municipal elections on Saturday, the Chief Minister said that the TRS had opposed the CAB in the Parliament and it would continue to oppose the Act as it goes against the Preamble of the Constitution.
He also announced that he would convene a conclave of regional parties in Hyderabad to discuss the issue and said he had already spoken to many Chief Ministers on the issue. “Consciously we’ve opposed the CAB. We are not afraid of anyone and we do things with total conviction,” he said.
He said that the Telangana Cabinet and Assembly would discuss CAA, NPR and NRC. He said that the resolution against CAA would be moved in the coming budget session of Assembly next month.
Stating that the CAA was a wrong decision, he appealed to Prime Minister Narender Modi to re-think on CAA as the law was not good for the country. He also alleged that Union Ministers were making contradictory statements on the issue. Quoting a report of Union Ministry of Home Affairs, KCR said that the report clearly says that National Population Register (NPR) would be the first step towards National Register of Citizenship (NRC).
However Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been claiming that there was no link between NPR and NRC. Similarly, he said Union Minister Kishan Reddy has been saying that giving information for NPR was voluntary. Therefore, he asked whether people were allowed to give no information at all for NPR.
The Chief Minister said that the Constitution has guaranteed equal rights for all citizens without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creeds, religion or sex.
However, the CAA openly violates the Preamble of the Constitution. He said Supreme Court should have taken up the matter suo motto. He said he would convene a meeting of all likeminded CMs and also other regional parties which are not in power.
KCR said that the CAA has spoiled the brand image of India at the global level. He said its implementation would have a negative impact on future generations and the world might not respect India as it does today due to its secular nature.
He announced that the TRS would remain a secular party and it does not care whether it wins or lose an election to pursue its policy.
He said CAA has instilled fear and suspicion among everyone, especially minorities. He advised the BJP Government to conduct a ‘mid-course review’ of its policies and introspect its performance. He said there were lot of other issues which are more important than CAA.
He said the country was facing severe economic crisis and CAA appears to be an attempt to divert people’s attention. Stating that he himself was a hardcore Hindu, KCR announced that he would not tolerate any kind of communal hatred in Telangana State.
He thanked people of Telangana for the historic victory in municipal elections whose results were declared today. He said the results were unprecedented and people have endorsed the welfare schemes and policies being implemented by TRS Government in Telangana State for the last six years.
He asked the party workers not to celebrate the victory with humility and restrain from displaying arrogance. He said that his government would continue the welfare schemes and take immediate steps to fulfil the electoral promises which could not be implemented so far.
They include reducing the age limit for old age pensions to 57, increase in retirement age for government employees, Unemployment Allowance to jobless youth, etc., Further, he said that the State Government aims to achive 100% literacy in the next one year.
The Chief Minister also hinted at increasing the municipal and Panchayat taxes to enhance revenues and use the same amount for development.
He said that the economic condition of Telangana State was not good and blamed the wrong policies of Central Government for the same. He said that the Centre did not clear over Rs. 5,000 crore GST dues and other payments to Telangana State. He said he would write a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard. (INN)