"The rights of true citizens should be protected at all costs," Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

There should not be an atmosphere of "confusion or fear" over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as it does not pose a threat to the citizenship of Indians, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday, asserting there will be no discrimination in identifying illegal immigrants.

Mr Naqvi, while interacting with people at a ''Jan Chaupal'' in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur, said people will get several opportunities to prove their citizenship.

It is unfortunate that some people with vested interests are trying to create an atmosphere of "confusion, fear and panic" over the NRC issue, the Union minister of Minority Affairs said.

"We should remain cautious of the conspiracy of such people," Mr Naqvi said in a statement issued by his office.

"No nation can afford illegal population. The issue of illegal immigration has been there for a long time. People have been against the infiltration of foreigners for a long time. We cannot ignore it," he added.

The rights of true citizens should be protected at all costs, he asserted.