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In Kerala, LDF-UDF close ranks against citizenship law in rare united show of strength

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala led the way in weaving a united web of resistance against the controversial legislation that was enacted by Parliament and given official assent by President Ram Nath Kovind last week.

Citizenship Amendment Act, Citizenship Act, Citizenship Bill protests, CAA protests, CAB protests, CAB protests Kerala, Kerala CAB protests, Kerala Citizenship Act protests, India news, Indian Express CM Vijayan hailed Kerala’s leadership in upholding values of secularism and brotherhood in his speech. (Express Photo)

The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and other non-BJP parties in Kerala closed ranks Monday against the amended Citizenship Act by taking part in a ‘satyagraha’ outside the martyr’s column in Thiruvananthapuram.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala led the way in weaving a united web of resistance against the controversial legislation that was enacted by Parliament and given official assent by President Ram Nath Kovind last week. The Act seeks to offer citizenship to non-Muslim refugees fleeing religious persecution from the countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and having arrived in the country on or before December 31, 2014.

As violent protests engulfed parts of Delhi, Assam, West Bengal, and other northeastern states, Kerala joined in. Dozens of UDF, LDF leaders and personalities from the film, arts, culture and literature fields marked their attendance at the satyagraha on Monday.

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CM Vijayan hailed Kerala’s leadership in upholding values of secularism and brotherhood in his speech.

Citizenship Amendment Act, Citizenship Act, Citizenship Bill protests, CAA protests, CAB protests, CAB protests Kerala, Kerala CAB protests, Kerala Citizenship Act protests, India news, Indian Express Dozens of UDF, LDF leaders and personalities from the film, arts, culture and literature fields marked their attendance at the satyagraha on Monday. (Express Photo)

“As protests intensify across the country, this gathering sends out a message to the world that Kerala is united against the citizenship law. We, the people of Kerala, have always been the model in such cases. This is a land where people live as siblings without caste or religious discrimination,” he said.

Festive offer

“When citizenship is offered to people who are religious as well as those who don’t belong to any religion, that’s when our country becomes secular. If secularism has to be protected, then citizenship on the basis of religion must be opposed,” he added.

Citizenship Amendment Act, Citizenship Act, Citizenship Bill protests, CAA protests, CAB protests, CAB protests Kerala, Kerala CAB protests, Kerala Citizenship Act protests, India news, Indian Express Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala was also present in the ‘satyagraha’. (Express Photo)

“If basic foundational values of the constitution are destroyed, it can be questioned in the courts. This amended Citizenship Act disregards the basic values of the constitution. This act destroys both article 13 and article 14 of the constitution,” said Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala.

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Minister for Law, Culture, Parliamentary Affairs and Welfare of SCs and STs, AK Balan hit out at the RSS for sponsoring the controversial law.

“The Act fixes December 31, 2014 as the cut-off date for all non-Muslim refugees coming from neighbouring countries. That means, it’s clear which community they are targeting. Who do they see as enemies? This is the agenda of the RSS and there is no difficulty in identifying it,” Balan underlined at the protest meeting.

CM Vijayan was among the few chief ministers in the country to declare that Kerala will not enforce the amended citizenship law. He called the law an attempt at destroying democratic values, establishing autocracy and dividing the country on the basis of religion. Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal, and Amarinder Singh, Punjab CM, have echoed similar views.

First uploaded on: 16-12-2019 at 13:31 IST
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