Citizenship Act Will Be Implemented, So Will Be NRC: JP Nadda After Meeting Refugees

Showing no sign of relenting even as the country continues to burn over the "divisive" Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), BJP working president JP Nadda on Thursday said that the CAA will be implemented and that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will also be brought in at national level. Nadda made these remarks here after meeting non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, who under the amended act will become Indian citizens.

The BJP interim president said that the rivals were protesting against the law for vote bank politics while ignoring the plight of minorities of three neighbouring countries living in India. "Those who are opposing the citizenship law should meet them. These people have been living in India for 28-30 years but can't admit their children in schools or buy a house as they do not have citizenship. Our rivals cannot see anything beyond their vote bank politics.

"India is marching ahead under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will continue to do so. The CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) will be implemented, so will be the NRC in future," he said.

The remarks of the BJP leader has come amid nation-wide violence over the amended Citizenship Act that grants Indian citizenship to illegal non-Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The protests, which started from northeastern states has now spread to the rest of the country.

The anti-Citizenship Act protests turned violent in Uttar Pradesh’s capital city Lucknow as agitators torched vehicles parked outside police chowki in Hasanganj area on Thursday. The police chowki was also vandalised by the agitators. The arson took place after the protesters clashed with the police. Stone-pelting was also reported from the area. Hasanganj locality is part of Old Lucknow.