While reiterating that the Central government has nothing to do with the proposal to have ‘three capitals’ for Andhra Pradesh, Bharatiya Janata Party MP G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said it cannot direct but might give suggestions if the State government approached with a definite plan, and it appeared as if Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy himself seemed to have no clarity on the matter.
Mr. Rao pointed out that the Centre neither recommended that the capital should be developed in Amaravati nor shifted to another location and it would not poke its nose in the matter.
Addressing mediapersons here on Monday, Mr. Rao said his party leaders could be speaking in different voices on the capital issue as it was natural to have divergent opinions, but what he articulated as the BJP’s only official spokesman in five southern States was the party’s stand. He insisted that the (Central) government and the party (BJP) were different and he was speaking on behalf of the party but not as a member of the Rajya Sabha. As far as the plight of farmers was concerned, Mr. Rao said justice should be done to them as they were not at fault in the entire episode.
Citizenship Act
Mr. Rao said some vested interests were creating a sense of insecurity among the Muslims that the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) was detrimental to them in spite of categorical statements by the Central government that it (CAA) was not vindictive in nature, but intended to recognise the minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who fled those countries due to religious persecution, as citizens of India.
Since partition, India had treated the minorities as its own people, whereas Pakistan was hostile to them. It was evident from the reduction of the share of minorities in the population of Pakistan from 23% to just 3%, he observed.
