‘CAA an open challenge to humanity, Kerala will not implement it’: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Monday that the decision by the BJP-led union government to implement the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections is aimed at 'dividing people, inciting communal sentiments and undermining the very basic principles of the Constitution' and declared that Kerala government will not implement them.

The Centre on Monday evening issued a notification of the rules of the CAA, paving the way for its implementation across the country. The law aims to give citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

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Warning that the Centre's move will unsettle the nation, the Kerala CM called for united opposition to the decision to stratify Indian citizens who have equal rights.

"This can only be seen as part of the Hindutva communal agenda of the Sangh Parivar. It is a blatant violation of the Constitution to grant citizenship to non-Muslims who immigrated to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014 and to deny citizenship only to Muslims. Indian citizenship is being defined in terms of religion. It is an open challenge to humanity, the country's traditions and its people," the Kerala CM said in a statement.

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CM Vijayan reminded that Kerala's Assembly was the first in the country to pass a resolution against CAA and that the state government had announced its intention not to implement the National Population Register (NPR). The state also filed a suit in the Supreme Court pointing out the unconstitutionality of the CAA and organised human chain protests across the state, he said.

The Communist leader underlined that Kerala will not implement the CAA which treats Muslim minorities as 'second-class citizens'.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly VD Satheesan slammed the Centre for adopting 'politics of division aimed at deepening fear in the minds of the people.'

Read more: Explained | What is the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)?

"They (BJP) want to create communal polarisation and make political benefits out of it. First they installed the Ram temple in Ayodhya and mixed politics with religion. This is their second weapon. Congress will fight it across the country. We will not allow it to be implemented," he said.