Congress govt will not implement CAA or NRC in Telangana: Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy

Hyderabad: Telangana Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday said the Congress government in Telangana would not implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) or the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Speaking at an Iftar party in Kodad, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the return of the Congress to power in Telangana has reinstated democracy and secularism in the state.

According to a Congress release, he alleged that minorities faced suppression and neglect during the previous BRS regime. None of the promises made to them, including 12 per cent Muslim reservation, was honoured, he said.

Uttam Reddy claimed that only the Congress could guarantee the continuance of secularism and democracy in the country. Only the Congress is capable of fighting the BJP at the national level, he asserted.

Despite fierce opposition, the BJP-led government at the Centre has already notified the rules for the implementation of the CAA, he said. "If the BJP wins again, it will likely introduce the NRC and NPR. Therefore, to safeguard secularism in the country, people must support the Congress party," he said.

The minister also said the Congress government has already initiated welfare schemes for minorities in Telangana.

He said that, as promised, the budget for minorities' welfare will be increased to Rs 4,000 crore and a sub-plan for minorities will also be introduced after the Lok Sabha elections.