Repeal new citizenship law; no need for NRC, NPR: Shetti

Farmer leader Raju Shetti on Sunday demanded repeal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), calling it an "unconstitutional law".

He also opposed the proposed country-wide National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).

Addressing reporters here in Maharashtra, the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna president said the ruling BJP at the Centre brought the CAA to "divert" the attention of people from the "economic slowdown".

"There is no need for either the CAA, the NRC or the NPR. The CAA is an unconstitutional law which should be scrapped," he said.

Shetti said that poor and tribal people would suffer hardships because of the NRC, as they would not be able to produce proper documents proving their Indian citizenship.

"Even I don't have my birth certificate," he claimed.

Replying to a query on Raj Thackeray's support for the CAA and the NRC, Shetti said he didn't agree with the views of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief.

"But I am against illegal infiltrators and the government should act," he said.

Shetti dubbed "eyewash" the Maha Vikas Agahdi (MVA) government's crop loan waiver up to Rs 2 lakh for farmers in the state.

He, however, said the government should be given more time on this front and that it is working better than the previous BJP-led government.