Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is the latest member to join the club of Chief Ministers against the in-talk pan India registration exercise of Citizens. He, however, is defending his party’s support to the new citizenship Act that has created hue and cry across the country. Naveen Pattnaik reiterated his support to Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), saying the bill has nothing to do with the Indian citizens. He appealed to the people for peace and not to believe in rumors.
A week after his party BJD voted for the Bill in the parliament paving its way to be an Act, Mr. Pattnaik took a different stand on NRC. On Wednesday he said his party had made it clear in the parliament that they did not support NRC. Oppositions see CAB and NRC in a combination.
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banarjee, Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh, and Kerala Chief Minister Pinayar Vijayan had refused to adopt CAA and NRC in their respective states. Besides, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the two congresses ruled states, are also opposing the move.
.BJD’s standing with BJP in the parliament for CAB has raised quite a few eyebrows among the secular parties. Muslims in Odisha had met the CM on Saturday and expressed their reservation on CAB and NRC. Since the inception of Modi 2.0 in May, Naveen Patnaik has helped the BJP dispensation pass many controversial bills- Article370, tripleTalaq, UAPA, MV. The newly developing rapport between BJP and BJD in the post-election scenario has been one of the biggest political speculations in Odisha as well as in the country.
BJD and BJP had parted their way just before 2009 elections in the wake of Kandhamal communal violence. BJD gained some secular credentials through this move which seems to dent by its approach towards BJP in the last six months.
BJP has criticized Naveen Pattnaik for opposing NRC. BJP senior leader Kharabela swain said that Naveen Pattnaik preferred politics over the interest of Odisha. Bangladeshi -infiltrators is an emerging crisis in Odisha, at this time denying NRC is against its interest, Mr. Swain said.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, an NDA component, has also refused to NRC in his state after supporting CAB in the parliament.
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