RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha on Monday said the Centre has created a confusion over the citizenship law and NRC and people were busy discussing the twin issues instead of focusing on ways to check crime and tide over the economic crisis.
The former Union minister also said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also the JD(U) chief, was no less responsible than the BJP for the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament.
"Today, we should be debating on more important issues, liking finding ways to solve the economic crisis, providing quality education to the poor and checking crime.
"Instead, we are talking about Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and NRC as the NDA created a confusion over the two issues," he said, while addressing a public meeting here.
The CAA is a legislation that gives citizenship to lakhs to foreigners, Kushwaha stated.
"It will not just deprive Muslims of their rights, but affects others too, no matter what the caste or religion. What needs to be understood is that the country's 130 crore population would be asked to furnish proof of their citizenship because of the NRC exercise.
"People, who fail to produce relevant land documents, will be deprived of citizenship and consequently they will stop getting benefits of development and welfare schemes," Kushwaha claimed, exhorting people to oppose the twin issues.
Claiming that the Bihar CM should also be held responsible for the passage of the legislation in Parliament, Kushwaha accused Kumar of double standards.
"Kumar always said he was opposed to the citizenship bill, but when the legislation was tabled in Parliament, his party voted in its favour. The BJP had always wanted this law, but the JD(U) said one thing, did another. That is why I feel Kumar was equally, if not more responsible for the bill's passage," Kushwaha added.
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