HYDERABAD: After a meeting with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said that the former would announce the TRS party’s official stance over the issues in the next two days.
Interacting with the media after the meeting between the chief minister and the United Muslims Action Committee, Owaisi said, “I definitely think that the chief minister’s decision would be positive because he has told me personally that this (CAA/NRC/NPR) is not just a matter of Muslims but of the whole country and its Constitution.”
The Hyderabad MP also said that major opposition parties, including the Congress, the CPI and the CPM, will be invited for a public meeting, to be organised by the United Muslims Action Committee in protest against the CAA, NRC and NPR, in Nizamabad on Friday. It may be mentioned here that the TRS had voted against Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament, but maintained silence on the implementation of NRC and regarding the demand for staying the NPR works in the State.
During the meeting with the chief minister, Owaisi mentioned Kerala as an example where the State government has stayed the NPR works. “I have told the CM that there is no difference between NCR or NPR. We have showed him the official documents from Ministry of Home Affairs (Chapter 15 of MHA’s Annual Report), where it is clearly mentioned, ‘NPR is the first step towards NRC’,” he said.
Owaisi said that he has also showed Rao the official releases from the Press Information Bureau, from MHA’s website (Civil Registration segment) and the former MoS in MHA Kiran Rijiju’s reply in the Lok Sabha.
Decision to invite all political parties taken on KCR’s advice, says Owaisi
During the meeting, the United Muslims Action Committee also submitted a memorandum, signed by 34 prominent Muslim personalities from the State including Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, to the chief minister. “Following steps are necessary: Immediately staying any work on the updation of NPR after due consultations with the State government of Kerala as well as other legal experts,” the memorandum said. “Ensuring that citizens residing in Telangana are protected from the arbitrary or discriminator measures such as NRIC. Ensuring peace and social harmony in the State of Telangana and preventing any threats to public order as a likely result of NPR-NRIC,” it said.
Owaisi also informed that the decision to invite all political parties who are opposed to the CAA and NRC to the Nizamabad meeting was taken on the advise of the chief minister. “The CM is not happy with the prevailing atmosphere in the country. He was concerned about the country’s future. He urged us to invite everyone for Friday’s public meeting in Nizamabad. The TRS ministers will also be attending the meeting. We will also be inviting the leaders of Congress, CPI and CPM. Because this is an issue where everyone needs to be together to save this country and its ethos,” he said.
Owaisi also said that he will also call TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and ask him to come for the protest meeting.“The chief minister also told me that he was thinking about having a dialogue with other like-minded parties and extending them an invitation (to join the protest). And if it is needed, he is also mulling over getting everyone together and organise another public meeting,” Owaisi said.