No let-up in Elgaar rift, Cong vents out anti-CAA, NPR, NRC stand

| | Mumbai
  • 0

No let-up in Elgaar rift, Cong vents out anti-CAA, NPR, NRC stand

Wednesday, 19 February 2020 | TN RAGHUNATHA | Mumbai

With no let-up in the ongoing tug of war between the ruling Shiv Sena and its allies over Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to  let NIA investigate the Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad Elgaar Parishad case, the Congress on Tuesday opened a new front by coming out openly against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA),  National Register of Citizens (NRC) and  National Population Register (NPR).

On a day when Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena came out in support of the CAA, extended conditional support to the NPR and voiced his opposition to the NRC,  Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president and party minister in the MVA Cabinet Bal Saheb Thorat formally opposed CAA, NRC and NPR. “The Congress party's stand regarding #CAA #NRC #NPR is very clear and we are opposed to it. The Congress party is opposed to anything that causes discrimination in the society. We will convince our alliance partners on the same,” he tweeted.

For the first time, Uddhav spelt out the Shiv Sena‘s stand on CAA, NRC and NPR. “CAA and NRC are two different subjects. NPR is a third subject. There is nothing to worry about in CAA. NRC has not come and it will not be implemented. If it (NRC) is implemented, it will not affect just Muslims, but it will also affect Hindus, Adivasasis and other deprived sections of the society,” Uddhav tweeted.

In another tweet on NPR, Uddhav said: “NPR is more of a census. But, still I will have a look at the questions in the data collection form. But, I do not there is impediment in NPR. Because, the census takes place once in ten years”.

The NCP has also serious reservations about NPR. After a meeting of NCP ministers convened by party chief Sharad Pawar, the party spokesperson and minister Nawab Malik had said on Monday: “Before devising the strategy on NPR, we -- MVA partners -- will jointly study the questions in the NPR and views of the non-BJP governments. Because some irrelevant and un-called for information is being sought by the Centre as part of the data collection.  The NCP is opposed to the date of birth and place of birth of parents and grandparents,” Malik said.

Both the NCP and Congress have urged the chief minister to convene a meeting of the l4eaders of the parties to devise a common strategy on NPR, CAA and NRC.

In a related development, the chief minister’s decision to let the NIA to investigate the Elgaar Parishad case continued be a bone of the contention between the ruling Shiv Sena and its allies in the MVA government.

Uddhav, who has come in for a flak from both the NCP and Congress for his ad hoc decision to let the NIA to investigate Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad Elgaar Parishad case e, sought to clarify his position. “Elghar Parsihad conspiracy and Bhima-Koregaon violence are two different cases. As far as the Bhima-Koregaon case is concerned, it concerns Dalits.  I have not given this case to the NIA. I would like to clarify that I will not let injustice to happen to the Dalits”.

However, there was some ambiguity in the NCP’s stand on  Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad Elgaar Parishad case. On one hand, like Uddhav, Pawar also said that Elgaar Parishad and Bhima-Koregaon were two different cases. “The CM has powers to hand over the case to the NIA. There was no alternative but to hand over the case tothe NIA, “ Pawar said.

Sunday Edition

CAA PASSPORT TO FREEDOM

24 March 2024 | Kumar Chellappan | Agenda

CHENNAI EXPRESS IN GURUGRAM

24 March 2024 | Pawan Soni | Agenda

The Way of Bengal

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

The Pizza Philosopher

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

Astroturf | Lord Shiva calls for all-inclusiveness

24 March 2024 | Bharat Bhushan Padmadeo | Agenda

Interconnected narrative l Forest conservation l Agriculture l Food security

24 March 2024 | BKP Sinha/ Arvind K jha | Agenda