'Rajasthan's passage of anti-CAA resolution is a murder of democracy': Gajendra Shekhawat

Reacting to the passing of an anti-CAA resolution by Congress-ruled Rajasthan on Saturday, Union Minister Gajendra S Shekhawat said the move was a "conspiracy to divide the country" and is a "murder of democracy". The resolution was passed on the second day of the Assembly's budget session. Rajasthan thus became the third state to do so after Left-ruled Kerala and Congress-ruled Punjab.

"This is equivalent to the murder of democracy and history will never forget the perpetrators. State Assemblies are going beyond their limited autonomy granted by the Constitution by passing these resolutions," Shekhawat said. Citing example of the dissolution of the Soviet Union (USSR), Shekhawat said the country had delegated too much powers to the provinces which followed contradictory policies and led to its ultimate collapse. 

READ | Rajasthan Assembly Passes Anti-CAA Resolution, Third After Kerala And Punjab

Unacceptable and condemnable

The BJP MP from Jodhpur added that the move by the Rajasthan government was a "conspiracy to divide the country which is unacceptable, condemnable and out of bounds for a democracy". When asked what action the Centre will take in the matter, Shekhawat said only "time will tell".

READ | Coronavirus: Rajasthan Govt Asks Health Dept To Be Prepared To Tackle Any Situation

CM Gehlot: Repeal CAA

Rajasthan Chief Minister appealed to the NDA government to repeal the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act "as it discriminates against people on religious grounds, which violates the provisions of our Constitution". His message came right after his party successfully passed the resolution opposing CAA.

The resolution said the CAA enacted by the parliament recently "is aimed at distinguishing illegal migrants on the basis of religion". "Such discrimination of people on the grounds of religion is not in consonance with the secular ideas enshrined in the Constitution and is clearly violative of Article 14," it adds.

READ | Rajasthan Passes Bill To Extend SC-ST Quota In Assembly

Punjab, Kerala pass anti-CAA resolutions

The Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala had in December last year passed an anti-CAA resolution in its Assembly after which it moved the Supreme Court against the CAA, seeking to declare it “violative of the principles of equality, freedom, and secularism enshrined in the Constitution”. Following Kerala, the Punjab government too passed a resolution demanding to scrap the contentious law in early January. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday had announced that the state will also pass an anti-CAA resolution. Several states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and other non-BJP states are mulling the same, while openly opposing CAA-NRC-NPR.

READ | BJP MLA Enters Rajasthan Assembly With A Basket Of Locusts, Seeks Compensation For Farmers

(With ANI inputs)

Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat slams Rajasthan's passage of anti-CAA resolution