"Will Divide Karnataka": P Chidambaram On BJP's Citizen's Registry Promise

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday cautioned the people of Karnataka against the BJP poll manifesto promising Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) by calling these topics "a pernicious agenda" of the ruling party to divide and polarise the state.

BJP's election manifesto for Karnataka released on Monday said: "We will implement the UCC in Karnataka based on the recommendations given by a high-level committee which is to be constituted for the purpose. We will introduce the National Register of Citizens in Karnataka and ensure speedy deportation of all illegal immigrants in the state."

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Chidambaram termed the UCC and NRC as the "pernicious agenda that is creeping into the south of India" and said they (BJP) are looking for a gateway in Karnataka".

The former Union minister also said he was not worried about anything else in the BJP's manifesto as "those are irrelevant".

"I am concerned deeply about the promise of the UCC and the NRC. This will divide Karnataka, this will polarise Karnataka. This will create social conflict," he said.

According to Chidrambaram, the BJP will try to enter other states including Tamil Nadu (using UCC and NRC).

"We will fiercely resist these pernicious ideas entering Tamil Nadu. But my humble appeal to the people of Karnataka is fiercely resist and stop the entry of this sinister, pernicious agenda into Karnataka," the Congress leader asserted.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)