LDF to intensify protest against citizenship law in Kerala, human chain on Jan 26

After a key state committee meeting of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to discuss the Citizen (Amendment) Act, the alliance has decided to intensify its protest against the new law across the state.

"The meeting presided by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided to launch a series of agitations across the state over Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019," LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan told ANI on Monday after the meeting.

Vijayaraghavan said that the front has also decided to form a human chain on Republic Day, January 26.

"We have decided to carry out district-level agitations on Dec 19 in 14 district headquarters. LDF will mobilise thousands of Left supporters and raise protests against the new act. Prior to this, state-level campaigns have also been planned," he said.

"Marches and Panchayat-level programmes will be held across the state. There will be a three-tire action programme that will culminate with the human chain across the state," Vijayaraghavan added.

The LDF, headed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), is a coalition of around 10 ally parties which is in power in the state since 2016.

Both the ruling dispensation and opposition are on the same dais as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and LoP Ramesh Chennithala held a joint protest against the amended citizenship law in Assembly on Monday.

Protests broke out across the country after the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, was passed by both Houses of the Parliament and received the assent of the President earlier this month.

The act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.