CAA implemented to divert attention from electoral bonds: Sharad Pawar faction of NCP

The Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar on Monday said the decision to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act by the Narendra Modi government was to divert people's attention for the controversy over electoral bonds.

The Centre announced the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, a move that comes four years after the contentious law was passed and paves the way for citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

With this, the Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants -- Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians -- from the three countries.

''The CAA notification is a spin by the @BJP4India led government to take the attention away from the Electoral bonds issue,'' claimed Clyde Crasto, national spokesperson the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court rejected the State Bank of India's plea seeking an extension of time and ordered it to disclose the details of electoral bonds to the Election Commission by close of business hours on March 12. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud also directed the EC to publish the details on March 15. Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said CAA was being implemented since the ruling dispensation realises there is no wave of support ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

''The Ram Temple was inaugurated but the expected wave of support is not seen. Now, they are trying to create another wave by issuing CAA notification. At times, they also try to polarise people over Hindu-Muslim issues,'' he alleged.

''No matter how many communal or other types of tension are created by the Union government, Narendra Modi will not become prime minister again,'' Raut claimed.