At the Wednesday meet between the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and the delegation of Muslim community leaders led by Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM, KCR reportedly expressed his intention to call for a national all-party meet on NRC and CAA.
KCR will reportedly call Left parties, the Congress, ministers of states dissenting against the CAA and other like-minded political parties for the meeting. Owaisi and the delegation met with Chief Minister for lunch at Pragathi Bhavan where he insisted KCR to stop work related to the National Population Register in Telangana.
Speaking to TNM, Hamid Mohammed Khan the State President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind said the 29 member delegation explained to KCR how the NPR and NRC could put minorities in the state and across the country at a disadvantage.. The delegation submitted a memorandum and requested KCR to give a clear statement against CAA, NPR and the NRC processes being pushed by the Centre.
“KCR in response told us that this is not only a problem that would affect the Muslims in India but India as a whole. He is aware of what the BJP wants to convert India into, he is aware of the agenda. He said he would call an all-party meeting at a national level and also conduct a huge public meeting by inviting all left parties, the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and the chief ministers who are against the CAA, at parade grounds in Hyderabad. He is inviting all like-minded people. The exact date is yet to be decided, either January 22 or 30. KCR will ask the country what we want, Gandhi’s country or Godse’s country,” said Khan.
The Telangana Chief Minister has reportedly instructed his Ministers to join the Nizamabad protest on December 27 against CAA, and the processes of NPR and NRC. He has also requested the AIMIM to reach out to the Left parties and the Congress, Asaduddin Owaisi is expected to reach out to Uttam Kumar, the TPCC president personally.
Speaking to media outside Pragathi Bhavan, at Begumpet, Owaisi stressed upon the point that the NPR is the first step towards NRC across India. “We requested KCR to put a stay on NPR and have clarified to him that NPR is the first step towards NRC, its mentioned as such in the MHAs own annual reports for 2018-19 and ina press release by the PIB, there is ample documentation,”
Owaisi was responding to Home Minister Amit Shah's recent statement where he said there was no relation between the NPR and NRC.
"It's a sad thing the Home Minister is misleading the nation and the media is not calling him out,” said Owaisi.
Owaisi said he pointed out to the Chief Minister the impact of the implementation of NRC in Telangana where only 29% of people in the state have a birth certificate, based on an RTI response.
"A lower-level official has the right to declare a person as a doubtful citizen and anyone can create doubts about someone’s citizenship. What are the parameters of citizenship? The BJP says repeatedly that no Indian citizen need to worry, I am asking who will decide if am an Indian? On which parameter? This is not just a matter of Muslims. All Indians will have to stand in queues. The CAA will give citizenship to Bengali Hindus who have lost citizenship in Assam, but the Bengali Muslims will not be given citizenship...who are they trying to fool?,” asked Qwaisi.