Odisha on Thursday witnessed two parallel agitations, one against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC)and NPR (National Population Register) and another in supporting of them.
While a number of social organizations supported by Congress and the Left parties under the banner of "We the People of India" staged an anti-CAA, NRC and NPR agitation in the state capital here, another rally in support of the CAA and others was organized at Puri town.
Both the rival groups held the rallies in the name of "Save Democracy and Save Constitution" on the 72nd death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
People from different sections of the society including members of the Muslim community took lead in the rally in Bhubaneswar.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik, party's senior leader Pradip Majhi, senior CPI(M) leader Janardan Pati addressed the rally seeking complete scraping of the CAA and not to go for NRC and NPR.
The speakers at the anti-CAA rally accused the BJP of attempting to divide the nation in the name of the new legislation. The participants read out the Preamble to the Constitution on the Mahatma Gandhi Marg here and pledged to fight against the legislation which according them aims at "dividing" the nation.
In a memorandum to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the "We The People of India" said: "We urge you to take a clear and unambiguous stand on opposing CAA and refusing to implement the dangerously linked NRC and the NPR."