Odisha opposition parties criticise CAA implementation, BJP thanks PM

Bhubaneswar: Opposition parties in Odisha including Congress, CPI(M) and Samajwadi Party on Monday criticised the BJP-led central government over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, ahead of the election while the BJP thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking to PTI, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in Odisha Assembly, Narasingha Mishra said CAA was "strongly opposed" by a sizeable population of the country for which its implementation was delayed.

"Now, when the election is knocking at the door, the central government probably with the sole intention of creating disorder in the country to consolidate votes of a particular section of the society has come up with the notification", he alleged.

The government at the Centre should first think about the interest of the country as a whole not the interest of a particular political party for winning the election, he said.

CPI(M) leader Suresh Panigrahi said, "We are strongly opposing CAA because it has provision to provide citizenship on the basis of religion, which will not only create discrimination but also violate the basic rights given by our constitution."

Samajwadi Party state president Rabi Behera said the implementation of CAA on the eve of Roza-Ramdan month amounted to polarisation.

"BJP wants to divert people's attention from its failures of controlling price rise and unemployment. We request Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik not to implement it in the state," Behera said.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling another promise by notifying the rules of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "A true reflection of Bharatiyata and its civilisational ethos of compassion, harmony, inclusivity and fraternity, implementation of CAA will pave the way for securing dignity of six minority communities who have migrated to India due to decades of religious persecution in the subcontinent."

This will put an end to the historic injustice that lakhs of families have faced as a result of partition, Pradhan said in a post in X.