NEW DELHI: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has agreed to support West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s protest against National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the amended Citizenship Act (CAA).
“I will be happy to associate myself with any concerted plan to rise against the authoritarian regime of the Central government and for saving our democracy,” Sharad Pawar said in a letter to the West Bengal Chief Minister while responding to the one written by Mamata Banerjee in which she had urged the Opposition leaders to unite and chalk out a plan to “save the country”.
Expressing his readiness, Pawar wrote, “I received your letter dated December 23, 2019, raising serious concern over the current alarming situation across the nation. I agree with your concern and pledge to stand in solidarity with all like-minded leaders and parties to protest against the implementation of CAA and nationwide NRC.”
Earlier, Pawar had opposed the CAA and said that the new law will disturb and hurt religious, social unity and harmony in the country. He had even questioned why only migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are allowed citizenship under the new Act but not Sri Lankan Tamils. In her letter dated December 23, Mamata had termed BJP’s rule as a “draconian regime”.