Hyderabad, April 2: Telangana’s Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has made it clear that the Congress government would not implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) or the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the State.
The senior leader and former president of State Congress was speaking at an Iftar party at Kodad in Nalgonda district on Tuesday.
He stated that the return of the BJP for the third term at the Centre would be a severe blow for minorities, especially Muslims. Despite fierce opposition, the BJP government has already implemented the CAA. If the BJP wins again, it may introduce the NRC and NPR, he said.
“If Modi is re-elected, he will dismantle the secular fabric. However, if Rahul Gandhi becomes PM, he will uphold secularism and democracy,” Uttam Kumar Reddy.
He is the first minister to give a clear-cut assurance to Muslims that CAA or NRC will not be implemented in the State since Congress formed the government in December last year.
The Minister said that only the Congress could guarantee the continuance of secularism and democracy in India and only the Congress was capable of fighting the BJP at the national level.
He said regional parties such as the BRS and the TDP cannot be trusted as they can align with the BJP anytime for their own personal interests.
Uttam Kumar Reddy claimed that the return of the Congress government has reinstated democracy and secularism in Telangana. He said under the previous BRS regime none of the promises made for minorities, including the 12% Muslim reservation, was honoured. He alleged that KCR was a pseudo-secular who strengthened the roots of the BJP and the RSS in Telangana in the past 10 years.
He assured that, as promised, the budget for minorities’ welfare in Telangana will be increased to Rs.4,000 crore, and a sub-plan for minorities will also be introduced after the Lok Sabha elections.
