Kerala CM writes letter to his 11 counterparts on Citizenship Act

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday wrote letters to his counterparts in 11 states including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asking them to consider passing a resolution against the amended Citizenship Act.

This came days after the Kerala Assembly recently passed a resolution seeking withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, or the CAA, 2019.

Vijayan wrote to letters to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Nitish Kumar of Bihar, where BJP is sharing power with Janata Dal (United).

"...Kind attention is drawn to the resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly on December 31, 2019, expressing its concern regarding the impact the CAA will have on our nation's secular credentials. The resolution requested the central government to repeal the CAA, 2019. States, which have the opinion that CAA should be repealed can also consider similar steps so that it will be an eye-opener to the proponents of the CAA and the NRC," Vijayan said in the letter.

The Chief Minister said that apprehensions have arisen among large sections of the society consequent to the CAA. "The need of the hour is unity among all Indians who wish to protect and preserve our cherished values of democracy and secularism," he added.

Vijayan also said that the activities of the National Population Register (NPR) have stayed in the state.

"Kerala has decided to address the apprehensions about NRC and that preparation of NPR will lead to NRC by staying all activities relating to NPR in the state," he stated.

BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao has filed a petition with the Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu seeking to initiate breach of privilege and contempt proceedings against the Kerala Chief Minister after the state Assembly had passed a resolution seeking the withdrawal of CAA.

( With inputs from ANI )