BJD doesn't support NRC but favours CAA, says Naveen Patnaik

Clearing his stance of the Citizenship Amended Act and NRC, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said that his party supports the CAA but does not stand with the NRC. He said ṭhat the CAA has nothing to do with Indian Citizens, it only deals with foreigners.

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Wednesday that the ruling BJD does not support NRC but stood for the Citizenship Amended Act (CAA). CAA applies only to foreigners and has nothing to do with Indians, he said.

The Chief Minister also appealed to the people of his state to maintain peace and not spread or become victims of rumours.

"The amended Citizenship Act has nothing to do with Indians. It deals only with foreigners. The BJD MPs both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have made it clear that we do not support the NRC," Patnaik told reporters.

This statement came a day after people protesting against CAA took out a peaceful rally in the state capital and urged him to make the BJD government's stance clear on the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

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