Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan has alleged that some people are trying to create fear in the minds of the people about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Delivering a lecture on ‘Ottakkallil Theerthatho India’ (Is India a monolithic structure?) in memory of the late journalist Jibin Moozhikkal here on Tuesday, Mr. Muraleedharan said the CAA had nothing to do with the National Register of Citizens.
“There are people who connect these two issues. The Act does not say anything about setting up an NRC. The Union government has never said anything about NRC either. The Supreme Court, however, asked to implement it in Assam,” he said.
“No need for concern”
Mr. Muraleedharan pointed out that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in his speeches in Parliament while presenting the Bill, had clearly said that there was no need for the minorities to get scared of.
“A senior Congress leader too said that minorities are not scared of the government. If there is no fear, is anyone trying to create it? There is no need for any particular group of people to air their apprehensions,” he said. Mr. Muraleedharan said that no one would have any document to prove that they were citizens of India.
The Minister claimed that Kerala had no role in this issue and there was neither any need to discuss or implement it here.
