Congress: Shah spoke of all-India NRC in Parliament

NEW DELHI: Rejecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims at a rally here, Congress said it was Union home minister Amit Shah who spoke about nationwide NRC in both the Houses of Parliament. The opposition party said the Centre alone was responsible for the current protests and unrest in the country.

Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma appealed to the PM on Sunday to convene a meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) and chief ministers to discuss the country’s situation following widespread protests over the amended Citizenship Act. Congress asserted government must rethink its stand on CAA-NRC.

“The Modi government alone is responsible for the current situation in the country. The PM should immediately convene a meeting of NIC and chief ministers to discuss the situation following the push for CAA and nationwide NRC,” Sharma said.


Congress’ push for NIC-CMs meeting coincides with many Congress state governments as well CMs of NDA allies and those who voted for CAB, such as Nitish Kumar and Naveen Patnaik, distancing themselves from CAANRC implementation.

Dismissing the PM’s charge that Congress and other opposition parties were spreading rumours and fanning agitation, Sharma said: “The government’s hastiness on CAA is the reason for the current situation. It was home minister Amit Shah, not Congress or other opposition parties, who said in both Houses of Parliament that there will be nationwide NRC. BJP CMs too said the same. The opposition had cautioned against CAB.

We had pointed out that it was in violation of the Constitution, especially Article 14. The students and others who are agitating are citizens of this country and they have the right to protest. It was our duty to speak for them. The issue is also pending before the Supreme Court. The government should rethink on CAA and NRC.”

Soon after Modi claimed at the rally that opposition was “spreading rumours” about setting up of detention camps, Congress’ official Twitter handle put out clippings of various reports on the conditions of detention centres in many states and also a report quoting minister of state for home Nityanand Rai saying that “28 died in Assam detention centres”.