Bengal Assembly passes resolution against CAA (round up)

The West Bengal Assembly here on Monday passed a resolution demanding scrapping of the new citizenship law (CAA).

The resolution, moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee at a special session of the House, was supported by the Congress and the Left Front, and opposed by the BJP members.

The Left and the Congress members, however, expressed their dismay at the state government not allowing them to move resolution against the CAA earlier this month and sought eight amendments.

One of the amendments said the new law had compromised India's position internationally.

However, they only read the amendments and didn't press, following appeals from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Chatterjee.

Banerjee, in her speech, commended the resolution for upholding humanity, which the law flouts. "This is no Hindu-Muslim issue. It's a matter of humanity. This law is a shame for humanity," she said.

Banerjee said the CAA, the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) were inter-connected. "These are the same thing. So this is not the time for us to quarrel. We all have to fight against dictatorship," she said in an appeal to the Congress-LF members.

Banerjee alleged that a lot of political leaders attended the meeting on the NPR in Delhi on January 17 after publicly opposing the exercise. "When you attend such meetings that means you are accepting the NPR. Only we didn't go. You will get lot of time to oppose me. Let us all carry forward the movement together," said Banerjee.

Peeved over the LF and the Congress alleging collusion between her and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee said, "One day, this slogan will boomerang on you".

Virtually throwing a challenge to the BJP-led central government, the Chief Minister said she didn't care if her government was dismissed. "I only care for the people. I won't allow any vandalism of the Constitution. The CAA should be immediately scrapped."

The resolution was passed under rule 169 of the rules of business of the House. It was adopted without voting, making West Bengal the fourth state to pass such a resolution.

The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala and the Congress-ruled Punjab and Rajasthan have passed similar resolutions in their respective Assemblies.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has also announced that the state Assembly would pass a resolution against the Act.

On September 6, the Bengal Assembly carried a resolution opposing the NRC in Assam, which also categorically ruled out holding any such exercise in West Bengal.

On Monday, Abdul Mannan, the leader of the opposition (Congress) and leader of the Left Front legislature party Sujon Chakraborty (CPI-M) took part in the debate.

Mannan alleged the opposition in the state was never given any political space to hold meetings and rallies.

Pointing out that the LF and the Congress had on January 9 tried to move such a resolution in the Assembly, but it was not listed following the Trinamool opposition, Mannan questioned why the resolution was being brought so late.

Later, Chakraborty alleged the government didn't have the guts to accept any of the amendments moved by the opposition, though they would have strengthened the spirit of the resolution.

"We objected, but in keeping with the spirit of the resolution, we didn't ask for voting. But in the end, I must say this resolution is the softest passed on the issue by a state Assembly," Chakraborty told mediapersons.

BJP legislator Swadhin Sarkar opposed the resolution and thanked the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for passing the CAA to help refugees get Indian citizenship.

On January 20, the Chief Minister announced that a resolution against the CAA will be passed in the Assembly.

Banerjee and her TMC have been at the forefront of the widespread protests against the legislation in the state, which also saw violence and vandalism after the law was passed last month.

After Banerjee's announcement, Chatterjee wrote to Mannan and Chakraborty seeking their support for the resolution.

The CAA, passed in Parliament last month, seeks to provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christ, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists who fled religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh till December 31, 2014.

As per the Act, such communities will not be treated as illegal immigrants and will be given Indian citizenship.

( With inputs from IANS )