The Home Minister also admitted that there was a lack of communication from the government on the Citizenship Amendment Act. (Source: @BJP4India) The Home Minister also admitted that there was a lack of communication from the government on the Citizenship Amendment Act. (Source: @BJP4India)

Two days after Prime Minister Modi clarified that there were no talks on a nationwide rollout of NRC (National Register of Citizens), Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday made a U-turn on the controversial subject, saying that the PM was right and there was no discussion on the matter.

“There is no need to debate this (pan-India NRC) as there is no discussion on it right now, PM Modi was right, there is no discussion on it yet either in the Cabinet or Parliament,” Shah told news agency ANI in an interview. The home minister, although, on many occasion had said that NRC would be implemented across India.

In the interview, which was aired hours after the Union Cabinet approved the proposal to update the National Population Register, Shah also admitted that there was a lack of communication from the government on the Citizenship Amendment Act. “There may be a lack of communication, I have no problem in accepting that. But you can watch my speech in the Parliament, I have clearly mentioned that the National Population Register would not affect anyone’s citizenship,” he said.

The NPR exercise will require people to declare ‘date and place of birth of parents’ besides furnishing data on 21 points.

Giving clarification over the issues detention centres that are being constructed in several states, Shah said, “There is no connection between the detention centre and NRC or CAA. The centres have been there for years and are for illegal migrants. Misinformation is being spread on this.” He said since the Modi government came in, no such detention centres have been made in the country.

On the violence during the Citizenship Act protests, Shah said that the government had made appeals for peace during the agitations, adding the protest call was given by the Opposition parties.

The BJP President also hit out at AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi for his criticism of CAA. “If we say that the sun rises from the east then Owaisi ji will say no it rises from the west, he always opposes our stand. Still, I again assure him that CAA has nothing to do with NRC,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

On Kerala and West Bengal saying no to NPR, Amit Shah said, “I humbly appeal to both Chief Ministers again that do not take such a step and please review your decisions, don’t keep the poor out of development programs just for your politics.”

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