CAA an 'unfinished' business of independence, partition: Panda

The amended Citizenship Act providing Indian nationality to persecuted minorities from Pakistan among others was an "unfinished business" of the country's independence and partition, BJP leader Baijayant Jay Panda said on Tuesday.

The CAA was the "only scheme" that lived up to Mahatma Gandhi's assurance to minorities in Pakistan in 1947 that they will always have shelter in their "original homeland," if given no proper security there, he said.

Panda also sought to allay any fears over the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), saying it was only an "idea" welcomed by many people and that no formal proposal has been made.

Speaking to reporters here after attending a pro-CAA rally organised by the BJP's state unit, Panda accused the opposition of lying on the Citizenship Act.

"This is one specific scheme which is an unfinished business of our independence and partition. I keep saying that this particular scheme does not prevent others (religions) from applying for (Indian) citizenship."
Recalling his visit to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh earlier on Tuesday, he said he met many from the minority community who had told him the opposition was going about saying their citizenship "will be taken away by the CAA."
On the violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, and allegations that ABVP and RSS were involved in it, he urged "the media to report fully and not just bits and parts."
"Before January 5 also, there was violence by one section of students preventing other students from registration.They were vandalising university property, beating up staff and students."