Sharad Pawar raised doubts if states have enough resources to implement CAA. (File)
Amid massive protests against the amended citizenship law across the country, NCP chief Sharad Pawar today said that "all those who care for the country's unity and progress" are opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. His remarks come a day after ally Congress's chief Sonia Gandhi, in a televised message on Friday, accused the government of "brute repression" and showing "utter disregard" for people's voices in the nationwide protests.
"Not just minorities but those who care for the country's unity and progress are opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens. The new citizenship law will disturb and hurt religious and social unity and harmony of the country," the 78-year-old leader told reporters today.
The NCP patriarch also questioned why only migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will be given citizenship under the amended law and not the Sri Lankan Tamils. "CAA and NRC are ploys to divert people's attention from serious issues that the country is facing," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Mr Pawar further raised doubts if the states have enough resources to implement the amended law. "The CAA may be a central act, but the implementation will be done by the state agencies. Do the states have resources and machinery for implementation?" he asked.
"Eight states, including Bihar, ruled by an NDA ally, have refused to implement the law and Maharashtra should also take a similar stand," he said.
On Friday, Sonia Gandhi had hit out against the ruling BJP over the amended citizenship law, calling it "discriminatory". "The Citizenship amendment Act is discriminatory and the proposed nationwide NRC will particularly hurt the poor and the vulnerable," said Mrs Gandhi.
She had also criticised the centre for crackdown on protests against the law. "The BJP government has chosen to use brute force to suppress dissent. This is unacceptable in a democracy," the Congress president said in the statement addressing "fellow citizens".
The new citizenship law, which cleared parliament last week, for the first time makes religion the test of citizenship in India. The government says it will help minorities from three Muslim-dominated countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan- to get citizenship if they fled to India because of religious persecution.
Opposition leaders and protesters, however, say that it is designed to discriminate against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the constitution. There are also concerns that the combination of the CAA and the NRC will leave Muslims vulnerable to being declared illegal residents in India.
(With inputs from PTI)