Moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the resolution was supported by all the MLAs except BJP's O Rajagopal.
The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution against the recently enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), asking the Narendra Modi led Centre to withdraw the new legislation that has triggered nationwide protests.
Moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the resolution was supported by all the MLAs except BJP's O Rajagopal.
The CM, who has accused the BJP of dividing the country on communal lines, said, "Kerala has a long history of secularism. Greeks, Romans, Arabs everyone reached our land. Christian and Muslim religions reached Kerala in the very beginning itself. Our assembly needs to keep the tradition alive. Our tradition is of inclusiveness. Our assembly needs to keep the tradition alive."
Terming the citizenship law as a 'violation of the fundamental right of equality', Vijayan said, “The CAA 2019 passed by both houses of the Parliament has created a concern among various communities, there has also been statewide protest against the same. In Kerala, there has been a peaceful and untied agitation in general. The Act, which has set new guidelines for granting citizenship, is a violation of the fundamental right of equality as mentioned in the Part III of the Constitution.”
The resolution was supported by opposition parties including Congress, CPI, and CPI(M). Speaking in favour of the resolution, Congress leader VD Satheesan said, "the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and CAA are the two sides of the same coin. CAA is a clear violation of Article 13,14 and 15 of the Constitution." CPI legislator C. Divakaran while extending support to Vijayan on the resolution moved by him said that the Assembly is "forced to move" such a resolution.
Meanwhile, the BJP opposed the legislation with the party MLA O Rajagopal saying that the resolution against the citizenship law was moved for "political gains". "The resolution shows the narrow political mindset," he said in the Assembly.
Massive protests have erupted across the country against the new citizenship law and a proposed NRC with Uttar Pradesh being most affected where 19 people have been killed. The new law promises citizenship to "illegal immigrants" belonging to minority communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled religious persecution in the three countries.
While critics say that the law is against the secular nature of the Indian Constitution and clubbed with the NRC may be misused to strip away some Muslims' citizenship in the country.
The BJP, however, has argued that the law has nothing to do with India's Muslims and only helps those who fled religious persecution in the neighbouring countries.
(With inputs from ANI)
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 "Kerala Assembly passes resolution to demand withdrawal of CAA. Photo: ANI")
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