Telangana to pass anti-CAA resolution in Budget session

The Telangana Legislative Assembly is expected to pass a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) during the Budget session beginning on Friday.

Voicing opposition to the amended citizenship law, the state cabinet had on February 16 urged the Union government to abrogate the CAA.

The February 16 Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, had said it felt the CAA would lead to discrimination on the basis of religion while granting citizenship, thus jeopardising secularism as envisaged in the Constitution.

The Cabinet has decided to pass a resolution against the CAA in the Assembly, the way Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal have done, according to an official release on February 16.

Coming out strongly against the CAA, Rao had earlier said he may convene a meeting of regional parties and Chief Ministers to oppose it.

The Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, a friendly party of the ruling TRS, has also sought to "put on stay" the National Population Register (NPR) in the state.

Owaisi had said they would request the Chief Minister to put on hold NPR in the state.

The Budget session would start with the customary address of the Governor to the joint sitting of the legislature on Friday.

The Chief Minister on Wednesday called on Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and handed over the copy of the Governor's address as approved by the state cabinet, according to an official release.

The opposition Congress, which held a meeting of its leaders here recently, said it would raise farmers issues, among others, during the Assembly session.

Alleging that the TRS government diluted the Rythu Bandhu (farmers investment support scheme) introduced with fanfare, Congress MLC TJeevanReddy had demanded that the scheme be implemented without any limitations and that ex- gratia be paid to the kin of all farmers who committed suicide.