Kamal Nath hints at pushback, says will do what Congress-ruled states do

The veteran Congress leader said the time has come for the Opposition to have a joint agenda and common understanding (PTI Photo)

With four opposition-ruled states indicating that they will not implement the controversial citizenship law, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath indicated that his state may join them as he described the legislation as “sowing seeds of divisiveness which is the anti-thesis of this country”.

Nath, who held an informal interaction with women journalists at the Indian Women’s Press Corps, also criticised the BJP-led government for its efforts to “distract” and “change the orbit of people’s imagination” by taking such steps when the country had more serious issues to face. “This is dhyan modne ki rajniti (it’s politics of diverting attention),” Nath said.

The veteran Congress leader said the time has come for the Opposition to have a joint agenda and common understanding. Nath also said the central government had not consulted the states before bringing such a legislation.

“We will do what other Congress-ruled states do. Whatever stand the Congress party has taken on Citizenship Amendment Act, we will follow that…” he said, adding that the “Congress has never accepted such legislation”.