New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Sunday that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be repealed during the first session of Parliament after the I.N.D.I.A bloc assumes power at the Centre, news agency PTI reported.
Chidambaram said that although the Congress manifesto does not explicitly mention repealing the CAA, the party's intention is clear in this regard. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPI(M) have criticised the Congress for not including the CAA repeal in its manifesto.
Addressing the media in Thiruvananthapuram, Chidambaram clarified that the omission of the CAA from the manifesto was due to its length, asserting that he, as the chairman of the manifesto committee, was intimately involved in crafting every word of it.
"The CAA will be repealed, not amended. We have made it clear," Chidambaram affirmed, stating that it would happen in the first parliamentary session after the I.N.D.I.A bloc takes office.
Responding to claims that the Congress has not sufficiently opposed the CAA, Chidambaram pointed out instances where party members, including Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, have voiced their opposition in Parliament.
When questioned about the potential impact of the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration on the Lok Sabha elections, Chidambaram expressed hope that it would not influence voters.
Regarding national border security, Chidambaram accused the BJP government of hiding the truth about “Chinese occupation” of Indian territory, citing testimonies from Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
"That's a fact testified by the MP from Ladakh. The fact testified by the Arunachal Pradesh citizens. Therefore, to say that they have secured our borders is a complete lie," PTI quoted Chidambaram as saying.
He further criticised the BJP-led NDA government, asserting that it has transformed into a cult centred around Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rather than a political party.
Chidambaram lamented the “erosion of freedom of speech” and expression during PM Modi's tenure and urged the public to prioritise the restoration of democracy.
"The BJP constituted the manifesto in 14 days which is not titled manifesto. They called it Modi's guarantee. The BJP is no longer a political party. It has become a cult and the cult worships Narendra Modi," he said.
Chidambaram also slammed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, urging him to recognise the national significance of the ongoing election. He urged voters to support the Opposition bloc, emphasising the Congress's broader reach compared to the CPI(M).