PM's comment on NRC should be considered as 'last word': Piyush Goyal

Responding to a question during a press conference here, he said, "I think once the Prime Minister of the country says something, that is the last word. The Prime Minister has categorically clarified. There is no question of NRC, no discussion in cabinet, no provision for that, no law for that.''

He accused Congress of misguiding people's anger and said, however, people had understood that the anger was baseless.

"The anger against the Citizenship Amendment Act was misguided and instigated by certain parties, in particular, Congress. Now people have seen through their plan. People have now understood that the anger is baseless..." he said.

The Union Minister said there was a misunderstanding that Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) would take away the citizenship of one particular community but it was not so.

"There is a misunderstanding that CAA will take away the citizenship of one particular community. No one will lose their nationality. Only those who are persecuted on account of their religion and have sought refuge in India, those who came to India up to December 31, 2014, they have been assured citizenship by this amendment," he said.

Goyal said throughout the country, students were being misled by fake news perlocated to create false propaganda.

"I think a lot of wrong propaganda is being carried out. Our young children are being misled... Fake news that is propagated that anyone can lose their citizenship... Nobody's citizenship is being affected," he said.

Goyal said he National Population Register (NPR) had nothing to do with NRC and it would not take away anybody's citizenship.

''The National Population Register has nothing to do with NRC, it will not take away anybody's citizenship, it does not take into account any citizenship criteria. It is simply a self-declaration. No documents will be asked from anybody,'' he said.