'Modi's address on NRC, CAA filled with hate and lies', says Congress

New Delhi, Dec 22: Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for claiming his government never discussed the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Congress on Monday alleged that the BJP is trying to fool the country.

The BJP in its Jharkhand assembly election manifesto has claimed it will implement the NRC and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said it will be implemented across the country, but the Prime Minister is now claiming just the opposite, the Congress said.

"Welcome to the conversation PM Modi, the country has been waiting for you. It's sad that the first time you've addressed the growing unrest in our nation you do so with hate & lies, but alas, what more can we expect from the Divider in Chief," the opposition party said on Twitter.

In a rally on Sunday, Modi sought to allay apprehensions, especially among Muslims, on the NRC, saying his government has never discussed it since coming to power for the first time in 2014. It has been discussed neither in Parliament nor in the Cabinet, the Prime Minister had said.

"Saheb speaks in Delhi that there was no discussion on NRC, but in the Jharkhand election manifesto on November 28, the BJP promised to implement the NRC.

"Now tell two things - No harmony between PM and Home Minister? Is there a rift between power and organisation? Or together they are making a fool of the country," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said. He said while Modi said in Delhi that there will be no NRC and no detention centres, Shah in West Bengal said the NRC will be implemented across the country, the BJP has also said this in its Jharkhand poll manifesto and in Parliament. "How much will you befool the country," Surjewala asked, adding that the government in Lok Sabha has said there are 1,133 persons in detention centres.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "Prime minister says one thing. Home minister says something else. But this is all part of the good cop-bad cop routine. Nobody should get fooled". Party spokesperson Sanjay Jha said. "The NRC will not be implemented pan-India and neither will the CAA (Citizenship (Amendment) Act). Until we hear this formally, officially today by the government of India please don't believe the disingenuous fraudulent speeches." Walk the talk and clear the air legally by today end, he demanded.