NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said he was surprised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment that his government never discussed a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Pawar said President Ram Nath Kovind had talked about the government’s plan to implement NRC across the country in his joint address to Parliament.
Even Home Minister Amit Shah had also spoken on this issue in Rajya Sabha, Pawar told reporters. Modi on Sunday said the nationwide NRC has not been discussed by his government and noted that it has been carried out only in Assam so far following the apex court’s order. Pawar said he was surprised by Modi’s comments, made during a rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.
“When a major policy is brought, a discussion takes place at the government level. Such a policy will not come before the country without that. Secondly, the country’s home minister had said in Parliament that they will bring NRC across the country,” Pawar said.
He recalled the President too had talked about implementing the NRC across the country. The President’s speech reflects the government’s policy, Pawar said. “Now to say there was no discussion on this (NRC in the Cabinet) is not right,” he added. “I think the government has failed on every front. To divert attention of the public at large from such a situation, they are raising such issues and giving such speeches. Beyond that there is nothing in it,” Pawar added. Pawar also accused the Modi government of not handling the country’s economy properly.
