"BJP's desperate attempt at divisive politics": Congress President Kharge questions CAA rules notification timing

New Delhi [India], March 11 : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday alleged that the timing of notifying the rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is "BJP's desperate attempt at divisive politics" just ahead of the coming Lok Sabha elections.
"CAA rules notified today just before elections, is BJP's desperate attempt at divisive politics," Kharge said in a post on X.
He further said that a delegation led by Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) President, Sjt. Lurinjyoti Gogoi met him along with a memorandum highlighting that "Citizenship Amendment Act is discriminatory in nature".

A delegation led by our ally Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) President, Sjt. Lurinjyoti Gogoi met me along with a memorandum underlining important issues concerning the people of Assam. It particularly highlighted that the #CAA i.e. Citizenship Amendment Act is discriminatory in nature and goes against the basic principles and spirit of the Indian Constitution," Kharge said.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also alleged that the announcement is yet another attempt to "manage the headlines" after the Supreme Court's strictures on the electoral bonds issue.
Ramesh said it has taken four years and three months for the Narendra Modi government to notify the rules for the law cleared by Parliament in December 2019.
"After seeking nine extensions for the notification of the rules, the timing right before the elections is evidently designed to polarise the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam," the Congress leader said.
"The prime minister claims that his government works in a business-like and time-bound manner. The time taken to notify the rules for the CAA is yet another demonstration of the Prime Minister's blatant lies," he said in a post on X.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal also alleged that this is an attempt by the BJP to divert the attention.
"...Why this delay? If the government had some sincerity on this issue, they could have given this order four years ago...This is being done before the announcement of the elections to divert the attention..." he said.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge also hit out at the BJP and said that the party is doing 'unconstitutional things'.
"The notification of CAA is just establishing the fact that they are doing unconstitutional things. This is already been discussed widely in the last couple of years and now just during the elections, if they are going to bring this up, it is very evident that they just want to practice divisive politics and they cannot win on a development platform..." he said.
Aam Adami Party leader and Delhi Minister Atishi said that the announcement by the BJP shows that 'it has not done any work in the last 10 years'.
"Just a few days before the Lok Sabha elections, CAA is being brought. What does this show? This shows that Modi government knows that they haven't done any work in the last 10 years..." she said.
However, several leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hailed prime minister Narendra Modi after the central government on Monday notified Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) across the country.
Rajasthan Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore, hailing the government said, "The CAA law was passed about three years ago, the wait was for its rules and regulations to be made. Now it has been made... I congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister for implementing CAA."
Goa CM Dr Pramod Sawant said, "...I welcome the CAA notification...I thank PM Modi and the Government of India..."
Chhattisgarh Speaker Raman Singh said, "...CAA was in discussion for a long time...I want to congratulate PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah...CAA has been brought to give citizenship and not take it away..."
The Centre on Monday notified the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules, days before the announcement of the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections and the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct. The Ministry of Home Affairs has already created a portal for the applicants' convenience, with the entire process being done online.
The Act, which was passed in 2019, seeks to fast-track Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians--with the exception of Muslims--who migrated to India owing to religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The applicants are required to declare the year that they entered India without travel documents.