New Delhi: Kerala, West Bengal and now Tamil Nadu have vehemently opposed the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in their respective states. Despite the Centre issuing a notification for the 2019 Act, they said they will not implement the CAA in their states.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the timing of the central government’s action, alleging “it was designed to disrupt the country, particularly ahead of elections”.
He criticized the move as divisive, aimed at stoking communal tensions and undermining constitutional principles, asserting that unity against this discriminatory act is essential.
The CPI(M) leader labelled the CAA as a direct affront to the Constitution, particularly in its exclusionary treatment of Muslims. The party’s state secretariat affirmed Kerala’s stance against the law, emphasizing that it will not be implemented under any circumstances.
Also Read: What is CAA, its eligibility criteria and all you need to know about Citizenship Amendment Act
Meanwhile, West Bengal’s Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, attributed the CAA’s rollout to the BJP’s election tactics, accusing them of propagating fear through media channels. She reassured her constituents that the CAA won’t find ground in West Bengal under her administration’s watch.
On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K. Stalin made it clear that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), for which rules were notified by the Union Home Ministry a day earlier, would not be enforced in Tamil Nadu.
He emphasised that the CAA’s provisions were detrimental to minorities and Sri Lankan Tamils residing in camps within the state.
The Citizenship Amendment Act, passed in Parliament five years after its enactment, has sparked widespread debate and protests across India.
The law provides expedited citizenship for persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries but has drawn criticism for its exclusionary stance towards Muslims, contravening the secular fabric of the Indian Constitution.
Meanwhile, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Tuesday challenged the move in the Supreme Court.
The IUML approached the court seeking a stay on the implementation which makes provision of Indian citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled to India due to religious persecution from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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