Ramakanta Biswas

Kendrapara: Union Minister of State for Steel, Faggan Singh Kulaste on Sunday said people need not worry about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Kulaste, who came to Odisha to attend BJP’s Jan Jagran Abhiyan- a public awareness campaign in support of CAA said, “Various political parties are carrying out violent protests against CAA across the country to fulfil their narrow political interests.”

“People should not be worried about NRC because as of now there is no discussion in this regard. Some people are trying to spread misinformation for political gains. If they want to speak about CAA, they should organise peaceful discussions on CAA instead of NRC,” Kulaste said.

Further Kulaste said that the Bangladeshi Hindus living in the district and earlier served deportation notices will be conferred with Indian citizenship under CAA 2019.

"The Bangladeshi Hindus living here were earlier branded as illegal immigrants and were asked to pack their bags more than a decade ago. However, CAA will make them Indian citizens," the Union Minister said.

BJP's national spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who was also in the State during the Jan Jagran Abhiyan on Sunday said, “Some people are trying to mislead the nation on Citizenship Amendment Act but they will never succeed. And, there is no question of the law being withdrawn.”

Responding to the BJP campaign, AICC secretary, Sarat Rout said, “BJP's campaign (Jan Jagran Abhiyan) will only result communal tension and destroy India's unity. This is a conspiracy against the country. By visiting villages, the saffron party will only spread misinformation.”

“We supported CAA in the House, but Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik categorically made it clear that NRC is not acceptable in Odisha. The important issue is NRC and we believe there is no danger to Indian citizens from CAA,” said BJD MP Pinaki Mishra.

Speaking on BJP’s Jan Jagran Abhiyan, Mishra said, “The BJP should have carried out the awareness campaign much earlier. The problem arises as they (BJP) went ahead with CAA without conducting awareness campaigns.”

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