Opposition leader and DMK chief MK Stalin has submitted a private member’s resolution to be taken up by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, seeking the withdrawal of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act. His resolution, submitted to the Assembly Secretary, is expected to be taken up when the House convenes on January 6.
On Thursday, DMK MLAs, including former Chennai mayor Ma Subramaniam, made the submission on behalf of the Kolathur MLA.
Addressed to the Assembly Speaker, the resolution states that the controversial law discriminates against Sri Lankan Tamils as well as Muslims. It has sowed divisions among people and provoked them to protest, it says.
“As an extension of that, the government has also prepared to execute the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NCR),” reads the resolution.
The resolution comes after Stalin welcomed the Kerala Assembly adopting a resolution demanding scrapping of the Citizenship Amendment Act on Tuesday. Stalin urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami to adopt a similar resolution in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on January 6.
The AIADMK had voted for the legislation in Parliament and helped pass it. However, AIADMK-BJP ally PMK, whose lone MP Anbumani Ramadoss had also voted in favour of the Bill, recently adopted a party resolution stating that the BJP must not implement the CAA and NRC in Tamil Nadu. The PMK also demanded dual citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamils.
Meanwhile, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said the states would have to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. A day after the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution seeking withdrawal of the citizenship law, Prasad said there is no escape from the implementation of the law, and that the resolution is against the Constitution.
“I want to gently remind these parties (who oppose the law), to seek proper legal advice. Article 245, 256 and other provisions state that Parliament has the complete power to pass laws regarding naturalization and citizenship,” said Prasad.
The Chief Ministers of nine states, including Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan, have opposed the law and refused its implementation.
The government has claimed that the law, which excludes Muslims, will help minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to avail citizenship if they flee the country and seek safe haven in India due to religious persecution. However, it has been heavily criticised by opposition parties, civil society groups and students across the country for leaving out Muslims and introducing religion as a test for citizenship. Calling to repeal the Act, they also pointed out that it violates the essence of the secular principles of the Constitution.
59 petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of this law. The Supreme Court is scheduled to begin hearing on the matter on January 22.
(With IANS input)
Source: The News Minute