After Assam, Delhi and West Bengal, the debate on having a National Register of Citizens (NRC) has reached Karnataka. The BJP government in Karnataka today said it has started collecting information and will discuss the matter with the central government.

Justifying the move, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said there is "very big talk" going on regarding NRC across the country. "Karnataka is one of the states where there people from across the border have come and settled. We are collecting information and will discuss it with the Union Home Ministry and go forward."

These comments come days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government is planning to implement an NRC in West Bengal.

Meanwhile, the Opposition in Karnataka said instead of thinking about NRC, the government should focus on helping flood-affected regions in the state.

Janata Dal (Secular) spokesperson Tanveer Ahmed said, "Let the home minister of Karnataka first concentrate on flood victims. NRC is a national issue that needs a lot of deliberation."

He accused the BJP of giving "rhetorical" statements and having "failed" to bring development in the state.

On August 31, the Union Home Ministry released the final NRC list for Assam which excluded nearly 19 lakh people. BJP's units in Delhi and West Bengal have been pushing for a similar exercise in their respective states.

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