DMK chief Stalin urges other states to follow as Kerala passes anti-CAA resolution

The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution demanding the scrapping of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, amid raging countrywide protests against the legislation. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin welcomed the move by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and also made an appeal to all the State Assemblies to do the same. He also demanded that the Tamil Nadu government should also pass a resolution in the state Assembly against CAA, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register.

'I urge all State Assemblies to do the same'

In the Kerala Assembly, the ruling CPI(M)-LDF and the opposition Congress-led UDF supported the resolution while BJP's lone MLA and former Union Minister O Rajagopal was the only dissenting voice in the one-day special session. The house adopted the resolution moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

'The Centre should take steps to drop the CAA'

While presenting the resolution, Vijayan said the CAA was against the "secular" outlook and fabric of the country and would lead to religion-based discrimination in granting citizenship. "The Act contradicts the basic values and principles of the Constitution. In view of the anxiety among the people of the country, the Centre should take steps to drop the CAA and uphold the secular outlook of the Constitution," he said.

READ | Day after his speech was disrupted, Kerala Governor summons Chief Secretary

READ | Face-off over Belgaum continues, Maha CM Uddhav Thackeray's effigies burnt in Bengaluru

Noting that the act had triggered widespread protests among various strata of society, the Chief Minister said it had dented India's image in front of the international community. Vijayan also ensured the Assembly that there won't be any detention centres in the southern state. The Congress-led UDF had demanded the Left government to convene a special session and pass a resolution against the CAA during an all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister on December 29 to discuss the issue. The new law grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

READ | Shiv Sena blasts BJP's oathtaking boycott, touts 'work by 6 ministers' & Aaditya Thackeray

READ | Kerala Minister unites couple in their 60s who fell in love at an old age home

(with PTI inputs)