Kerala: Governor Arif Mohammad Khan heckled by oppn in assembly, reluctantly reads anti-CAA para at 'CM's request'

As widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) rocked the nation, the Kerala assembly witnessed a revolt of its own kind on Wednesday on these issues as the Opposition MLA's displayed anti-CAA posters against Governor Arif Mohammad Khan as he arrived to address the budget session there.

#WATCH Thiruvananthapuram: United Democratic Front (UDF) MLAs block Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan as he arrives in the assembly for the budget session. CM Pinarayi Vijayan also accompanying the Governor. pic.twitter.com/oXLRgyN8Et

— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2020

The MLA's of United Democratic Front (UDF) attempted to block the path of the governor, chant slogans of "go back governor", and showed anti-CAA slogans to him. In order to prevent the situation from getting worse, Assembly marshals intervened to escort him to the podium. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was accompanying Khan into the assembly when the incident occurred.

When he started addressing the assembly, many opposition leaders staged a walkout. However, the drama wasn't over yet as the Governor read out a portion against CAA, even though he expressed his reservation against the resolution passed by the state assembly against the Citizenship Amendment act.

He stated that he was reading "para 18" regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act because "Honorable CM wants me to read this."

"Now I come to Para 18, I have been corresponding with the honourable chief minister for the last few days, I have my reservations because in my view...I am going to read it, I am going to read this Para because the Honorable CM wants me to read this," ANI quoted Khan as saying in the assembly. 

"Although I hold the view that this doesn't come under the definition of policy or program. The CM has himself said in his letter that this is the view of government. I disagree, but to honour his wish I am going to read this para," he added. 

The incident comes after Congress and Kerala Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala accused the Kerela Governor of being an agent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The opposition launched scathing attacks on the governor after he criticised the state assembly for passing a resolution against the CAA.

 Severe protests have erupted in various parts of the country ever since the central government passed the contentious act, which grants Indian citizenship to refugees belonging to the Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, and Jain communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

Several civil society members and activists have stated that the act discriminates against Muslims, a claim which has been refuted by the Centre, which puts that the act will grant long-deserved citizenship to refugees who have faced religious persecution in these neighbouring countries.