Maharashtra Assembly adjourns for 30 mins after BJP rakes up issues of CAA, NRC during debate on state Budget

Mumbai: Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Saturday after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis raked up the issues of CAA and NRC during a debate on the budgetary demands of the home department. Assembly Speaker Nana Patole adjourned the House for 30 minutes when members from both the sides rushed to the Well of the House and traded charges against each other. During his speech, Fadnavis, who is the Leader of Opposition in Assembly, said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) does not take away the citizenship of Indian citizens. “But rumours are being spread about CAA, information is optional. The prime minister has already said NRC is not being implemented,” he said. However, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh asked Fadnavis to speak only on the budgetary demands of the home department. Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said Fadnavis had said during the winter session in Nagpur that issues of central jurisdiction should not be discussed in the House. “Then why is he talking about the central act here?” he asked. BJP’s Sudhir Mungantiwar said Fadnavis has not spoken anything negative. “We want misconceptions about the Act to go and there should not be any unrest,” he said. Malik and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said the issue of CAA was being heard in the Supreme Court and could not be discussed in the House.