Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be implemented once the Covid-19 vaccination process is over, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday reiterated that the state will not implement the new law.
Inaugurating CPI(M)’s statewide political tour ahead of the Assembly elections this summer, Vijayan said, “We had already made clear our stand. This government would not allow implementation of such a law (CAA). This government would not implement it.’’
On Thursday, while addressing a BJP rally in poll-bound West Bengal, Amit Shah had stated that implementation of the law had to be kept in abeyance “after the country was hit by the pandemic. As soon as the COVID vaccination process ends the process of granting citizenship under CAA will begin.”
The CAA was passed by Parliament in December 2019. In Kerala, the ruling CPI(M) had subsequently taken a stand against the law and the state Assembly had passed a resolution against the legislation.
On Saturday, after mentioning development initiatives of his government in the last five years, Vijayan said, “Some others have begun stating certain other things. Remaining silent on that would not be a correct approach. The Union Home Minister was heard saying that CAA would be implemented after Covid-19 vaccination is over. In Kerala, this government would not stand with that move…”
He said when the Bill was made a law, certain people had asked how Kerala can keep away from implementing it. “If we say that CAA would not be implemented, that means it would not be implemented…. I am repeating that,’’ he said.
On Saturday, Vijayan was speaking at the inauguration of the CPI(M)-led LDF’s northern region yatra at Uppala, in Kasaragod district, ahead of the Assembly polls. The LDF’s northern region yatra, led by CPI(M) acting secretary A Vijayaraghavan, marks the start of the Left coalition’s poll preparations. Another yatra, led by CPI leader Binoy Vishwam, will begin from Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, making its way from the southern part of the state. Both yatras will culminate at the same place by the end of the month.
In a speech that lasted nearly 50 minutes, Vijayan claimed that the people of Kerala have already made up their mind on the return of the LDF government. He then listed the state’s achievements in various sectors. Inputs from Vishnu Varma in Kochi
