State legislatures, including Kerala assembly, has no power on citizenship law: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Pras on Tuesday said Parliament alone has got powers to pass any law regarding citizenship and t a state legislatures, "including Kerala assembly."

His assertion came hours after Kerala Assembly passed a resolution seeking scrapping of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which provides Indian nationality to persecuted mirities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Banglesh.

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"It is only Parliament which has got powers to pass any law with regard to citizenship; t any assembly, including Kerala Assembly," he told a press conference here. Pras said CAA did t relate to Indian citizens and that it neir creates r takes away citizenship.

Recalling that late Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi h provided citizenship to mirities from Uganda and Sri Lankan Tamils, respectively, he wondered why was it ok if Congress did so and "it is a problem" when Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah did same.

"This is double standards and hypocrisy of worst order," he said strongly defending CAA which has triggered protests across country in past weeks. CAA "does t relate to any Indian citizens.It neir creates citizenship r takes away citizenship of Indians. It is only applicable to persecuted mirities (from three countries)," Minister ded.

CAA was perfectly Constitutional and legal, he said, ding a 'disinformation campaign' was being done against it by vested interests. On National Population Register, which has also come in for opposition from several quarters, including Kerala government, he said it is a compendium of usual residents of India and it has got thing to with citizens.

It was about usual Indian residents in a vill or town and it has got thing to do with citizens. Population Register data is used for development and policy making purposes by both Central and State governments, he said.

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