In public rage against NRC, KCR sees an opportunity to bring anti BJP forces together

Hyderabad: In the raging public agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and other related plans of Narendra Modi regime, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has apparently seen an opportunity to bring all the anti-BJP forces together.

As part of mobilisation of the anti-BJP forces, KCR has asked his ally Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen supremo and MP Asaduddin Owaisi to invite all the parties to his proposed protest meting in Nizamabad on December 27.

KCR asked Owaisi to bring all the parties together to further strengthen the fight against the CAA, NRC and NPR when MIM leader led a delegation of Muslim United Action Committee.

Owaisi later told the media that he would extend invitation to the state Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy and leaders of left and other parties to address a public meeting.

“We will invite all the parties who are against the CAA and NRC”, he said.

The delegation urged the Chief Minister to follow the example of Kerala and refuse to carry out the work of updating the National Population Register as it was the first step towards the NRC.

“This is not just against the Muslims but all the poor people of this country”, Owisi said.

“The CM is not happy with the prevailing atmosphere in the country. He was concerned about the country’s future. He urged us to invite everyone for Friday’s public meeting in meeting”, he said.

The Chief Minister has also decided to send his own ministers and senior leaders of his Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

Apart from lending support to the MIM’s protest meeting, KCR was also toying with the idea of organising another protest rally of his own by bringing all like minded parties together. He was likely to invite the national leaders of other parties including the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

This will be third big meeting organised by MIM against the CAA and NRC, which has created a fear among country’s Muslims that these laws and rules will be used to disenfranchised them and reduce them to the status of stateless people.

KCR’s outgoing response to the Muslim delegation was in contrast to his silence so far on the issue. While TRS voted against the CAA in both the Houses of Parliament, KCR was not as forthcoming as his counters in West Bengal and Kerala in declaring their opposition to the NRC and NPR.

Both West Bengal and Kerala Chief Ministers have stopped the process of updating the National Population Register. Owaisi urged KCR to make a similar announcement.

MIM leader expressed hope that the Chief Minister will announce his decision in a couple of days after consulting the legal experts.

Meanwhile the joining of hands by Owasi and KCR against the moves of the Centre has evoked sharp reaction from the BJP. A senior Congress leader has also rejected the overtures of MIM and TRS.

BJP MP from Nizamabad D Arvind that KCR had become a puppet in the hands of Asaduddin Owaisi. Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday he alleged that both the leaders were trying to mislead the people about NRC and NPR.

He also wondered how a public meeting was being permitted in Nizamabad when a poll code of conduct was in force in view of the urban local body elections.

Working president of state Congress Bhatti Vikramarka ruled out the possibility of Congress party attending the Nizamabad meeting saying MIM and TRS were enacting a drama to mislead the people. “Congress has been fighting against the CAA from the beginning and if anybody want they can join the Congress’ fight”.

“If KCR is secular, as he was claiming, why he refused permission to Congress rally on December 28,” he asked.