Jaipur: The Rajasthan Assembly Saturday tabled a resolution against the new citizenship law CAA, NRC and NPR with the opposition BJP strongly protesting the Congress-led move.
As soon as state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal presented the resolution in the Assembly, BJP MLAs went on the offensive with some of them crowding into the well of the House and shouted slogans.
The debate on the resolution is continuing till last report came in.
So far Kerala and Punjab are the two states which have passed resolutions against the new citizenship law CAA, but not against NRC and NPR.
The ruling Congress resolution says CAA flouts the basic nature of the Constitution and that a substantial section of people believes that National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) have the same base. The Census should continue only after taking back the new provision as introduced in NPR, it read.
The resolution further says that amendments introduced recently under CAA ‘divides people on religious grounds’ and also ‘deprive a particular community of availing Indian citizenship’.
It said many people will face inconveniences with the proposed additional information as sought under the CAA. Assam is a living example, it said.
It demanded the Centre revoke amendments in CAA and clear doubts on NPR.
“Our Constitution clearly says India is a secular nation and Article 14 makes it clear that no person in the territory of India will be deprived of equality before law or equal protection of laws. The goal of the Citizenship Amendment Act-2019 i.e. CAA is to differentiate illegal immigrants on the basis of religion.”
It said after independence, for the first time in the history of the country, such a law has been brought which differentiates people on the basis of religion. This will put the country’s secular fabric at risk.
“No provision has been made in the CAA regarding migrants from other neighboring countries such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan, which raises many questions,” it added.
IANS
