Centre Must Speak to States to Dispel Doubts Over Citizenship Law & NRC, Says RSS Gen Secy

New Delhi: RSS general secretary Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi on Monday said the Centre must speak to other states to clear their doubts over the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens as they are issues of national interest but have been politicised by leaders who are misleading the masses.

Addressing a press conference of the Akhil Bharatiya Karyakadi Mandal in Bengaluru, Joshi — when quizzed about the Shaheen Bagh protests and Delhi riots — said: “The national issues have been made political. It is the duty of every government to take care of its citizens and no outsider is allowed beyond a limit. But unfortunately, the national issue has become political.”

Joshi added that the role of certain leaders was to create confusion. “Many leaders have tried to create confusion. The home minister and prime minister have on several occasions appealed to them to understand the Act. But those who want chaos are trying to mislead people. Whatever is considered not useful can be done away with but support it if it is in the interest of the nation,” he said.

The Bihar Assembly recently passed a unanimous resolution expressing unwillingness for a National Register of Citizens in the state and emphasised that the implementation of the National Population Register (NPR) would be done strictly according to the 2010 format.

The state governments are not ready to push the 2020 format of the NPR as it has several contentious clauses. Recently, the Delhi assembly led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) passed a resolution against the NPR and NRC. There was a one-day special session in the assembly to pass the resolution against NPR and NRC.

Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan have also passed resolutions to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Other states opposing the move are West Bengal, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh along with Puducherry.

Joshi said the BJP should take initiative in bringing different political parties together and making them understand the concepts of CAA-NPR-NRC. “The decisions on these issues are to be taken by the Centre. It is the duty of the Centre to make the state governments understand,” he said.