Sharad Pawar seconds Mamata Banerjee on NRC & CAA, expresses willingness to protest

Responding to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s letter seeking the formulation of a plan to ‘save democracy’, NCP chief Sharad Pawar expressed his solidarity. Pawar pledged his support to stand against the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens. Moreover, he expressed his willingness to be a part of a concerted strategy to take on the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.  

Read: Mamata Banerjee Writes To Sharad Pawar, Proposes All-Opposition Joint Protest Against CAA

Here is Sharad Pawar's letter to Mamata Banerjee: 

Mamata Banerjee calls for opposition unity

On December 23, Banerjee wrote to Pawar observing that the citizens of the country irrespective of caste and creed feared the CAA and the NRC. She argued that it was imperative for the opposition to come together and rise against the "draconian" regime. The West Bengal CM contended that the students of India had risen against the Centre.

Read: Mamata Banerjee Provokes With UN Call, Dares BJP To Conduct 'monitored Referendum On CAA'

CAA & NRC explained

While the CAA is a legislation that has been passed by both the Houses of Parliament, the government has described the NRC as "a normal process" to register one's name in the Citizens’ Register. Though there has been no formal announcement of a nationwide NRC so far, many leaders of BJP including Union Home Minister Amit Shah have stated that it would commence very soon. The CAA seeks to provide citizenship to the minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The CAA will be applicable to the members of these communities having arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. Moreover, they will not be considered as illegal migrants. Additionally, the mandatory residence period for naturalised citizenship for these communities has been reduced to 5 years. 

Read: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar Congratulates Hemant Soren, Predicts Reduction Of BJP's Footprint

Nationwide protests

There have been widespread protests against the CAA and the NRC in various parts of the country. The opposition's main contention is that the CAA violates the Constitutional principle of Right to Equality. Furthermore, the protesters have raised apprehensions over the implementation of the CAA and the NRC in combination. 

Read: Sharad Pawar Demands SIT Probe Into Police Action Against Activists In Elgar Parishad Case