THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM-led Left Democratic Front-ruled state of Kerala became the first state in the country to pass a resolution demanding the scrapping of the controversial Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, through a resolution passed in the Legislative Assembly here on Tuesday.
The resolution was un-animously passed by me-mbers of the ruling LDF and opposition Congress-led UDF. However, the lone BJP MLA in the 140 member Assembly, O. Rajagopal, opposed the resolution terming it “anti-constitution.”
The Central government rejected the resolution passed by the Assembly saying that only Parlia-ment is vested with the powers to frame and pass laws in connection with citizenship. No State Assembly can surpass the Act passed by Parliament, said Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
“I will urge the Chief Minister again to kindly have better legal advice. We will talk to the states if required,” he said at a press conference here to explain the Centre’s perspective on CAA.
The resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly gains significance in the backdrop of the countrywide protests being held against CAA.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan moved the resolution in a special session of the Assembly and opposition leader Ramesh Chen-nithala seconded it.
CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury congratulated the Kerala Assembly for passing the resolution. DMK supremo M.K. Stalin urged the Tamil Nadu Assembly to pass a resolution on the lines of the one passed by Kerala.
