After Punjab, more states may pass anti-CAA resolutions: Patel

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Sunday said the states ruled by his party would consider bringing in a resolution in the legislative assemblies against enforcement of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a Central law.

Patel's comments came a day after his party colleague Kapil Sibal said that states cannot decide against implementing a law passed by Parliament.

He said states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh could follow in the footsteps of Punjab which passed a resolution in the Assembly against the CAA.

Punjab on Friday moved a resolution in the Legislative Assembly demanding scrapping of the controversial CAA.

"After Punjab, we are seriously thinking of passing a resolution against Citizenship Amendment Act in (Congress- ruled) states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh," Patel said here.

It is known that the Congress shares power with the Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra.

"When so many state Assemblies pass resolutions with majority, it is a clear cut message to the Union government that you should seriously rethink this (CAA)," he said on the sidelines of an event in Bharuch, over 190 kms from here.

The Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan has decided to move a resolution in the state Assembly against CAA in the Budget session beginning from January 24.

Patel said widespread protests against the new citizenship law were people-driven and spontaneous, and not sponsored by any party.

"There is a general feeling (against the CAA). It is not that any political party is sponsoring it. (People) staying out for the entire night, coming out in several lakhs, is not being done by any party but by people themselves. So the government should rethink this considering sentiments of the people," he said.

Sibal had said on Saturday that "if the CAA is passed, no state can say 'I will not implement it'".

"It is not possible and is unconstitutional. You can oppose it, you can pass a resolution in the Assembly and ask the Central government to withdraw it. But constitutionally saying that I won't implement it is going to be problematic," Sibal had said.