BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri Challenges Telangana Minister’s CAA-NRC Stand

After Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy’s statement asserting that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) won’t be enforced in the state, BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri remarked that merely sporting a beard doesn’t equate to being secular, suggesting that individuals holding such views should be excluded from the political arena.

“Uttam Reddy is saying that CAA-NRC will not be implemented in the state. By growing beard one doesn’t become a secular. There is only one secular party in the country. How is giving refuge to Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas being secular? Such people should be thrown out of the political system. Only the CM can give clarification on this,” he said.

“It is being implemented in the country and is the law here, If you don’t want to implement then resign and go home. This is very dangerous. Such people should be thrown out of Country’s political system,” he added.

During an Iftar gathering in Kodad, Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the Congress government in Telangana would refrain from implementing both CAA and NRC.

At the same time, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre regarding applications requesting a suspension of the Citizen Amendment Rules 2024, which were introduced to enforce the CAA, 2019.

A panel comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justice JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, has directed the Centre to submit its response within three weeks and scheduled the hearing for April 9, 2024.

After being passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, and receiving the President’s assent the next day, CAA triggered widespread protests throughout the country. The CAA came into effect on Jan 10, 2020.