Dharmendra Pradhan on CAA: No question of any Indian citizen leaving country

Trying to instil confidence among people, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said there is no question of Indian citizens leaving the country.

His remark came after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said nobody had the power to throw anybody out of the country, apparently allaying fears of people in the region over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

"There is no question of any Indian citizen leaving India. But even globally, all nations have done the work of identifying their own citizens and foreigners living in their country. So, India is also taking the initiative recently to start a similar exercise," Pradhan told ANI.

Addressing a rally in poll-bound Bihar's Kishanganj, Nitish Kumar said: "Who keeps spreading misinformation, keeps talking rubbish? Who will send whom out of the country? No one has the power to throw anyone out as all belong to India. Sab Hindustan ke hain, sab Bharat ke hain. Kaun kisko bahar karega (All belong to Hindustan, all belong to Bharat. Who will throw anyone out)?"

The Act grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who had arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.

Commenting on the arrest of Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, Pradhan said: "Maharashtra government has strangled democracy. It is totally wrong. They will not be successful."

On Wednesday, Goswami was arrested in the death case of interior designer Anvay Naik, who allegedly died by suicide in Alibaug in May 2018. Later, he has been sent to 14-day judicial custody.

(ANI)

Also Read: Nitish Kumar seeks to allay CAA fears: Nobody has power to throw anybody out of country