Kerala Assembly passes resolution demanding scrapping of CAA

Kerala became the first state in India to pass a resolution against changes to the citizenship law and the exercise to build a population register that will form the database to create a citizens’ register.

“The Centre should come of its parochial and sectarian outlook and treat everyone equally,” Pinarayi Vijayan said, on Tuesday (December 31), delivering his sharp message to the BJP-led national coalition. The assembly voted 138:1 in favour of the resolution that demands the Centre scrap amendments to the citizenship law and the National Population Register.

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

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“The new citizenship law is against the secular fabric of the country,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the assembly as he stood up to propose a resolution that asks the BJP-led national coalition to withdraw the Citizenship (Amendment) Act passed by Parliament during the Winter Session.

The ruling Left Democratic Front, which had called a special assembly session to debate the proposal, expects the resolution against a law enacted by Parliament to be passed when it is put to a vote.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the new law, combined with the National Register of Citizens, was designed to turn members of the minority community second class citizens. This cannot be allowed, he said, appealing to members to support the resolution irrespective of their political affiliations.