'States have a right to their opinion': JDU leader on unrest over CAA

Janata Dal-United leader Pavan Varma has asked the Centre to take stock of the unrest over Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). He also said that States have their own Right to opinion.

READ: CAA 'unnecessary' Legislation, Will Impact Both Hindus And Muslims: Kejriwal

"States have a Right to exercise their opinion"

Speaking to news agency ANI on Sunday, he said, "The States have the right to express their opinion. Many states have done so that they do not want the discriminatory and divisive NPR-NRC exercise. I think you can only implement this exercise in coordination with the States. I believe that the Centre should listen to what the States are saying, many of them, in a federal polity and take those views on board. Bihar, through Nitish Kumar has said that they do not want NPR exercise, the Centre must take cognisance of it."

Varma has also written a letter to the Bihar CM and JDU Chief Nitish Kumar stating that the CAA-NPR-MRC exercise is divisive in nature and that he is against the remarks made by Deputy CM Sushil Modi's remarks that the NPR exercise will take place in Bihar in May.

READ: Bihar Guv Confirms NPR Amid Rift Between The Dy CM Sushil Modi And CM Nitish Kumar

The CAA was passed in the Parliament in December but the government has faced a lot of backlash with protests taking place all over the country. 

Various opposition parties have protested against the CAA, with Communist Party of India (Marxist) Chief and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan writing a letter to the chief ministers of 11 states to pass a resolution to stop the NRC and NPR exercise. The development took place after the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution opposing the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act passed by the Indian Parliament and ratified by the President.

READ: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Writes To CMs Of 11 States Urging To Pass Anti-CAA Resolution

The letter written to chief ministers like Mamata Banerjee, Amarinder Singh, Arvind Kejriwal, Nitish Kumar, Kamal Nath, Uddhav Thackeray and others also drew their attention to the Kerala government’s decision to halt all activities relating to National Population Register (NPR) after apprehension over it was observed. "Kerala has decided to address the apprehensions about NRC and that the preparation of NPR will lead to NRC by staying all activities in the state".

READ: JDU Leader Writes Letter To Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Against CAA-NPR-NCR