CAA: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik assures Muslims to safeguard their rights

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday assured the Muslim community to safeguard their interests concerning the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The Chief Minister assured a Muslim delegation from Bhadrak and adjoining areas which apprised him of their concern over the Act and NRC.

"We went to meet the Chief Minister over the current situation and to make aware him with the allayed fears and apprehension of the Muslim community due to CAB Bill and the Possibility of NRC. The Chief Minister assured us to be with the Muslims," a member of the delegation said. "He told us that there is nothing to worry about. He assured that we will not face any problem, and the government will safeguard their rights in the state," the man added. 

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States rejecting Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

Captain Amarinder Singh, Kamal Nath, Mamata Banerjee, Pinrayi Vijayan, and Bhupesh Baghel the chief ministers of Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, and Chhattisgarh respectively have withdrawn their support for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The chief ministers of the five states have refused the implementation of the Bill. According to the MHA sources, the issue of citizenship comes under Union List by the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, and therefore such amendment is applicable for all states.

Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government in being allegedly coerced to reject the Bill, which was opposed by NCP-Congress of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Reports brimming from Maharashtra indicated that the top leaders of the Congress party could reconsider their support for the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, in case BJP's former ally, fails to refuse the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the state. 

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The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Parliament. President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the bill on Thursday, turning it into an Act. According to the Act, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who had come to India till Dec 31, 2014, from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan because of religious persecution will not be treated as illegal immigrants and be given Indian citizenship.

The Act says the non-Muslim refugees will be given Indian citizenship after their stay in India for five years, instead of the earlier requirement of 11 years. The Act also proposes to give immunity to such refugees facing cases as illegal immigrants. According to the legislation, it will not be applicable to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and in the areas covered under the Inner Line Permit, notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

(With agency inputs)