Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Friday wrote a letter to his counterparts in 11 states, urging them to unite against Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA. The letter appealed to the various chief ministers to push for repealing the CAA passed by Parliament last month.
“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 wishing to protect democracy and secularism,” Vijayan said in the letter.
Vijayan also sought to draw attention to the resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly on December 31, 2019, which requested the Centre to repeal the CAA expressing concern regarding the “impact it will have on our nation’s secular credentials”.
Chief ministers of 12 states have opposed the CAA, the most vehement being Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal. At a rally in Siliguri today, Banerjee lashed out at the Centre for passing the CAA and called on the states to unite against it.
“I am fighting against National Register of Citizens and CAA, join hands with me. I am requesting all people to come forward to save our democracy,” said Banerjee.
Kerala is the first state to pass such a resolution with both the ruling front and the Opposition backing it. Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had hit out at the Kerala government after it passed the resolution saying Vijayan should seek “better legal advice”. Governor Arif Mohamed Khan had said that the state assembly’s resolution against CAA has no legal validity and is unconstitutional.
Vijayan had, however, rejected the criticism saying the state assemblies have their own privileges.
“State Assemblies have its own privileges. Such actions are unheard of anywhere. But we cannot rule out anything in the present circumstance as unprecedented things are happening now-a-days in the country,” Vijayan said Wednesday.