Although protests on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is gathering pace all over India and overseas, Home Minister Amit Shah has decided to visit Odisha to conduct a public meeting to discuss the benefits of the bill. Since the introduction of the bill, protests have been widespread , especially in the state of Assam, Delhi, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura.
In retaliation to this, many right-wing groups like Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP have held pro-CAA rallies in several places across India. These groups have also held rallies in parts of Bhubaneswar and Puri. Though the pro-CAA rallies have been building up a crowd, the anti-CAA rallies still continue to overshadow the opposition.
To start a more rooted conversation, Shah aims to address a pro-CAA public meeting during his two-day visit starting on February 28. State President Samir Mohanty while confirming Shah’s visit also declared that more than one lakh people are expected to be present for the meeting. Further, Mohanty added that the Home Minister will visit Jagannath Temple in Puri and Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar on February 29.
The BJP’s claim for a conversation on the positive aspects of the bill hasn’t been fruitful yet. However, Odisha could be a start for the saffron party.