'I'm representative of President, will defend law': Kerala Guv on state's anti-CAA stand

Kerala's Goverr Arif Mohammad Khan on Saturday said that he had taken an oath to defend Indian Constitution and laws passed by President of India. His remark came amid state Assembly’s resolution's passing of  amended Citizenship Act. 

“A bill becomes a law with assent of  President and I have taken an oath to defend both constitution and law. I am a representative of President of India,” said Kerala goverr.

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' legal or constitutional validity'

Khan opined that Kerala Assembly’s anti-CAA resolution has legal or constitutional validity as citizenship is exclusively a subject to be dealt by Centre. He also added that intimidating a Goverr attracts punishment under section 124 (sedition) of Indian Penal Code as it is a criminal act.

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Kerala Assembly has passed a resolution for t implementing Act in state and has also written to central government regarding same. Moreover, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to eleven state governments who are against CAA to follow same pathway against Act. 

CAA seeks to give citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian refugees who came to India on or before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. 

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However, after bill was passed in both houses of Parliament followed by President’s assent, protests erupted across country against Act.  protests which began in Assam had spread across country and in universities like Jamia Millia, JNU and Aligarh Muslim University which took a violent turn with stone-pelting and damaging public property. clash between police and protesters resulted in alleged lathi-charging, tear gas and rubber pellet action by police and vandalism by protestors. Many sections of nation criticized alleged brutal police action. Several protestors and police personnel were injured and died in protests.

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(With inputs from ANI)