THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A front runner among governments that opposte the controversial law, Kerala on Tuesday, became the first State to move the Supreme Court against the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA).
The plea has been filed under Article 131 of the Constitution(Disputes between Centre and States) and states that the CAA violates right to equality under Article 14 of the country’s Constitution, apart from the Right to Life under Article 21 and Freedom to Practice Religion under Article 25.
The state Assembly, on 31 Dec, had passed a resolution demanding scrapping of CAA, describing it as unconstitutional. Congress supported the Left front, while BJP’s lone MLA O Rajagopal disagreed in the House.
While presenting the resolution, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said CAA was against the secular outlook and fabric of the country and lead to religion-based discrimination in granting citizenship.
On Dec 11, the Centre passed CAA in the Parliament largely on party lines, given that ruling BJP enjoys an overwhelming majority in the House. According to the Amendment, members of Hindu, Sikh Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who may have been persecuted in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till 31 Dec, 2014 will be conferred citizenship of India, while others shall be treated as illegal migrants.
