Save democracy: Kerala CM Pinarayi writes to 11 states on CAA

As protesters continue to throng the streets of India to voice their opposition to the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday (January 3) wrote to his counterparts in 11 states on the need to save secularism and democracy.

In a letter to the chief ministers, including Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, Vijayan said, “Apprehensions have arisen among large sections of our society consequent to the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019. The need of the hour is unity among all Indians who wish to protect and preserve our cherished values of democracy and secularism,” he said.

Also read | Kerala Assembly passes resolution demanding scrapping of CAA

The Kerala Assembly had on December 31 passed a resolution demanding scrapping of CAA, amid raging countrywide protests against the legislation. Kerala became the first state to pass such a resolution. However, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had said the resolution was absolutely unconstitutional and illegal.

The ruling CPI(M)-LDF and the opposition Congress-led UDF had supported the resolution while BJP’s lone MLA and former Union minister O Rajagopal’s was the only dissenting voice in the one-day special session.

The Kerala chief minister had been at the forefront of the anti-Citizenship law agitation in the state. The UDF has also joined hands with the ruling LDF to organise statewide agitations against the contentious legislation.

(With inputs from agencies)