Maha Govt Will `try Not to Implement' CAA, NRC: Minister

Mumbai, Jan 5 (PTI) Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad stated on Sunday that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will "try not to implement" the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the state.

Gaikwad was speaking at the Chatra Parishad conference, organised to oppose the CAA, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) here.

Chatra Bharti and various other student unions participated in the event.

Gaikwad, a Congress leader, said, "The Constitution was drafted by late Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. The CAA, NRC and NPR are against that Constitution. I came here to assure the students that our government will try not to implement the CAA and NRC here in Maharashtra."

Congress is part of the ruling coalition which also includes the NCP and Shiv Sena.

"The students and youth in the country are rising and the Centre will have to take notice of it," she further said.

Former JNU student leader Umar Khalid said, "The entire country is experiencing tremendous unrest against the economic crisis as well as controversial acts like CAA and the NRC exercise. We will counter their batons with tricolour and conquer."

Member of Maharashtra Legislative Council Kapil Patil said, "These students were called "Tukde Tukde Gang". But in fact it is these students who are unifying the country."

The controversial CAA provides for grant of citizenship to non-Muslim refugees which came to India fleeing religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before 2015.

Many non-Congress states including West Bengal and Kerala have said they would not implement the Act, though the Centre has maintained that states have no choice in this matter.

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