“Citizens against CAA-NRC-NPR”, a broad-based citizens’ group has welcomed the Telangana Assembly resolution passed on Monday against the CAA, NRC and NPR.
The group has been protesting and creating awareness in the State on the above issues. Addressing a media conference here on Tuesday, the representatives of the group said that the resolution was a major victory for the cross-section of civil society groups in Hyderabad and districts across the State against the “communally divisive, anti-Constitutional and oppressive Citizenship Amendment Act” and the nationwide implementation of National Registry of Citizens and National Population Register.
They urged the Telangana government to take immediate concrete steps to transform the Assembly resolution into action. The resolution brought to light that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been misleading the nation that NPR was a routine exercise which has nothing to do with NRC.
The Central government has issued directions to the States that the data collection for NPR should be done by States along with the House listing process for Census 2021 from April 1, 2020..
The citizens group demanded that a Government Order should be issued directing the officers that NPR data collection would not be taken up along with the house listing exercise for the census 2021 in the wake of directions issued by the Central government. Telangana government should halt the Census 2021 House-listing exercise until the Centre issued notification de-linking the Census exercise from any NPR data collection. The coronavirus crisis would also provide additional reason to halt the Census exercise until further notice.
The Citizens’group urged State government to file a petition in the Supreme Court against CAA challenging its Constitutionality in line with other States such as Kerala and Rajasthan. State government should also demand the Central government to repeal or amend the Citizenship Rules (2003) so that the legal basis for the nation-wide NRC and NPR would be removed. The MPs of all parties including TRS should take this up in Parliament.
Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao as announced should take the lead in organizing a meeting of Chief Ministers against CAA, NRC and NPR, and build common ground to reverse the recent measures by the Centre. They also urged the government to give instructions to the police not to stop any peaceful protests and community awareness activities on CAA, NRC and NPR. The unjustified cases booked against protesters and activists should be immediately withdrawn.
