Surprised over Modi's NRC comments: Sharad Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said he was surprised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC) was not discussed by his Cabinet or in the Parliament.

Seeking to deflate the prime minister's claim on the issue, Pawar said President Ram Nath Kovind had talked about the government's plan to implement NRC across the country in his joint address to both the Houses of the Parliament.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also made the remark in this connection in the Rajya Sabha, Pawar told reporters here.

Modi had on Sunday made it clear that the contentious issue of NRC has not been discussed by his government in either Cabinet or Parliament, and noted that it has been carried out only in Assam so far following the apex court's order.

The prime minister said lies were being spread about the NRC.

Pawar said he was surprised by Modi's comments, made during a rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday, that there was no discussion on the NRC in the Cabinet or in the Parliament.

"When a major policy is brought, a discussion takes place at the government level. Such a policy will not come before the country without that. Secondly, the country's home minister had said in Parliament that they will bring NRC across the country," Pawar said.

He recalled the President too had talked about implementing the NRC across the country.

The President's speech reflects the government's policy, Pawar said. "Now to say there was no discussion on this (NRC in the Cabinet) is not right," he added.

"I think the government has failed on every front. To divert attention of the public at large from such a situation, they are raising such issues and giving such speeches. Beyond that there is nothing in it," Pawar added.