Kerala Assembly resolution against CAA unconstitutional: V Muraleedharan

Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Tuesday slammed the Kerala Assembly's resolution demanding the scrapping of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and termed it an "illegal and unconstitutional move."

"It is completely illegal and unconstitutional, it is making a mockery of the democratic process. The Legislative Assemblies of the states are supposed to enact laws that pertain to the issues of that state. When an Act has been passed by Parliament and the state legislature passes a resolution asking for its repeal then it means that they are taking away the powers of the members of the Rajya Sabha from the state," Muraleedharan told ANI here.

The Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs further elaborated that the Kerala Assembly's resolution was in a way making a mockery of the representatives to the Lok Sabha who had been elected by the state's voters.

"The people of Kerala have sent 20 members to the Lok Sabha, and 9 MPs of the state are also in the Rajya Sabha who have expressed their views. After considering all these views the Parliament in its sovereign authority (both Rajya and Lok Sabha) has taken a view. Therefore, if the state legislature passes any such resolution it is a mockery of democracy and of Constitution and the parliamentary proceedings," he said.

Earlier today, the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution seeking withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

Before the resolution was passed against the Act, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a special Assembly session targeted the RSS and said that citizenship law is part of an agenda.

"The CAA is part of an agenda. Muslims are being considered as internal enemies by RSS, that is controlling the ruling dispensation at the Centre," he alleged.