Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday responded to a Rajya Sabha member filing a petition to initiate a breach of privileges and contempt proceedings against the CM for passing a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the Kerala Assembly. On December 31, 2019, the 140-member Kerala Assembly adopted a resolution seeking scrapping of the CAA as it was "illegal and unconstitutional".
Referring to a petition filed by BJP Rajya Sabha MP GVL Narasimha Rao against Pinarayi Vijayan for tabling an anti-CAA resolution in the Assembly, the Kerala CM said that the move was unheard of. Pinarayi also responded that the Assembly had its own rights and privileges and that it could not be violated.
The ruling LDF in Kerala and the opposition UDF had passed the resolution in the Kerala Assembly, demanding the central government to withdraw the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. While presenting the resolution, Pinarayi Vijayan had 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 in the Assembly.
Pinarayi said that the Rajya Sabha had its own rules and similarly, the Assembly, too, had special protection that could not be violated. He also added that nothing could be ruled out as strange developments have been happening in the country.
Commenting on Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s criticism of the anti-CAA protests, Pinarayi added that such views need only be taken as his (governor’s) personal observations.
Meanwhile, coming out in support of the Kerala CM, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said that the Kerala Assembly had jurisdiction to adopt the resolution on the new legislation. “Like Parliament's decisions are not questionable, what is happening inside the Assembly also can't be challenged. Who can question their privileges?”
The Congress government in Puducherry is also planning to adopt a resolution in the next Assembly session seeking scrapping of the CAA as the one adopted by Kerala, Narayanasamy said on Thursday.
Under the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants, and be given Indian citizenship. The Bill was adopted by Parliament in the just-concluded winter session. It became an Act after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent on December 12, 2019.
(With inputs from PTI)