Published 19:14 IST, January 25th 2020
'Rajasthan's passage of anti-CAA resolution is a murder of democracy': Gajendra Shekhawat
Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat said the passing of an anti-CAA resolution by Rajasthan Assembly was a conspiracy to divide India
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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.
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".
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.
Our Constitution prohibits any kind of discrimination. This is the first time in the history of the nation that a law has been enacted which discriminates people on religious grounds. It violates secular principles of our constitution and also Article 14 of our Constitution.
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) January 25, 2020
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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.
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.
(With ANI inputs)
Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat slams Rajasthan's passage of anti-CAA resolution
19:14 IST, January 25th 2020