KTR, Mohd Mahmood Ali issue contradicting statements on NRC

Hyderabad: Two top ministers in Telangana cabinet made contradictory statements on the implementation of the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).

Minister for IT and TRS working president KT Rama Rao on Thursday stated that the state government will take a decision on whether to implement NRC and NPR in Telangana or not only after the Centre officially communicates to the state government on the issue.

Telangana Minister for IT and Industries K T Rama Rao on Thursday said the state government will take a call on the implementation of NPR and NRC in the state after the Centre officially communicates on the issues.

"For NPR or NRC, we have not received any official communication from the government of India. When it comes, I'm sure, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will deliberate. We will take a decision on whether to implement them or not only after that,” KTR remarked, while interacting with the media at the party’s headquarters Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad on Thursday.

KTR advised the BJP-led government at the Centre to focus more on contemporary issues such as sluggishness in the economy, job creation and escalating fuel prices rather than religion and other issues like NRC, NPR etc.

“The cabinet will discuss on NPR, NRC after the Centre officially communicates us. We will sit with other important people and take a decision as a government. There is no need for anybody to apprehend and have a prejudice that TRS has deviated from its earlier stand," KTR said.

Replying to a query on the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM party's request to the state government to stay work on NRC on the lines of Kerala, he said it was not binding on other states to follow the decision of the coastal state.

The Kerala Assembly had last month passed a resolution demanding scrapping of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, becoming the first state in the country to do so.

"That is not binding (on us). They've done as per their convenience. There could be a demand (on TRS Government) to follow suit. We will deliberate when the situation is right and will come out with our own action plan," he added.

The TRS party opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act in the parliament alleging that it is not inclusive in the current form.

However, Home Minister Mohd Mahmood Ali issued a contradictory statement saying that there will be no NRC in Telangana.

Addressing a public gathering on Wednesday, Mahmood Ali said that he had informed the Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi that the NRC exercise will not be conducted in the State, when he visited the city on Tuesday.

“I promise you, forget about the NRC, there will be no disturbance in the state,” Ali said.