Hyderabad, December 23: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday ruled out the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in his state. Interestingly, Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress had voted in Parliament in favour of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which, according to its critics, is linked with the NRC. However, Jagan made it clear that his government stands against the NRC. Will Jharkhand Join Fight Against CAA+NRC? Here's What Probable CM Hemant Soren Said Ahead of Assembly Elections Results.
"I was asked by my minority brothers to make a statement on the NRC. I want to make it clear we would oppose the NRC and there is no way Andhra Pradesh would support it," Jagan said while speaking at an event in Kadapa where he foundation stones for several developmental projects. His clarification came a day after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi urged the Chief Minister to rethink on his support to the Centre. Anti-CAA Agitation: After West Bengal And Kerala, Rajasthan Government Refuses Updation of NRC-Linked NPR.
"I am requesting my friend Jagan Mohan Reddy. Rethink your support to the Centre. We have to save the country," Owaisi said on Sunday while addressing a huge gathering held against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The AIMIM chief made a similar appeal to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, urging him to stop updation of the National Population Register (NPR), which apparently is linked with the Modi government's NRC plans.
Last week, Deputy Chief Minister Azmath Basha Shaik Bepari had said the state would not support the NRC. Jagan has now become the 10th Chief Minister who has opposed the NRC. Four Congress Chief Ministers - Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh, Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh, Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan and V Narayanasamy in Puducherry - along with their West Bengal and Kerala counterparts have rejected the CAA-NRC combine.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik have ruled out conducting the NRC in their respective states. Kumar's Janata Dal (United), Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal and Reddy's YSR Congress voted in favour of the CAA in Parliament. The Shiv Sena, an ally of the Congress and NCP in Maharashtra government, said that they would wait for the Supreme Court's ruling on petitions against the amended Act before deciding on the implementation in the state.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 23, 2019 07:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).