Citizenship Act antithetical to Constitution, urge Centre to revoke it: DMK

A meeting of DMK and its allies, including the Left parties, here on Wednesday demanded the Centre to immediately rescind the amendment to the Citizenship Act and slammed the proposed nation-wide National Register of Citizens as "antithetical," to the Constitution.

A resolution adopted at the meet alleged the amendment had a "dimension of religion and race" and "ignored Eelam Tamils", and urged the Centre to immediately withdraw it based on good faith and to ensure peace.

The meet, chaired by DMK president M K Stalin at the party headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam' here, saw the participation of leaders of alliance parties, including MDMK chief Vaiko, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri, state secretaries of CPI (M) K Balakrishnan and CPI's R Mutharasan.

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The resolution, which condemned the Citizenship Amendment Act said it was detrimental to India's pluralistic ethos and the proposed NRC is "antithetical to the Constitution, and an arrangement to make (our) brothers refugees in their own country."

Due to the NRC exercise in Assam, not only Muslims but also many lakhs of Hindus were grappling without an idea about their future, the resolution alleged.

Stalin, briefing reporters on the meeting, said, "We have decided to take out a mega rally to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act on December 23 in Chennai."

"We appeal to all, including students and the general public, to take part in the rally by cutting across party lines," he said.

To a question, Stalin said the Centre should heed to appeals at least now against the CAA considering the nation-wide protests against it.

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"The opposition to CAA does not happen only in Tamil Nadu. In particular, in North India (an apparent reference to the violence in Delhi), the opposition is raging. Hence, at least now, after such incidents, the Centre should pay heed to calls for the withdrawal of CAA," he said.

DMK and its allies oppose the CAA since Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka and Muslims were not included for grant of citizenship, Stalin said.

The vote by 11 MPs of AIADMK and one from PMK in favour of the Centre in Rajya Sabha paved the way for the adoption of the Citizenship Amendment Act, he said.

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For supporting the Centre, they are "identified as betrayers of Tamils and for sure Tamils will not forgive them," the DMK chief alleged.

To a question on Chief Minister K Palaniswami's stand that no Indian would be affected due to the CAA, he said there was no surprise since Palaniswami and the AIADMK toed the Centre and followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

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Asked if he felt that the proposed rally would have any impact since Shah was categorical that CAA would not be taken back, Stalin said, "For sure we are confident that it will have an impact."

On Palaniswami accusing DMK of not allegedly doing anything to get citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees when his party was part of several dispensations at the Centre in the past, he said, "I don't want to join issue with him, we are focussed on the issue on hand."

Another meeting would be held after holding the rally to take forward the opposition to CAA, he said. 

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