Country facing "explosive" atmosphere: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday lashed out at the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), saying it was an attempt to "curb" freedom.

He said the country was facing an "explosive" atmosphere.

Speaking at a joint protest meeting organised by the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the Opposition Congress headed UDF, Vijayan said, "Our country is facing a severe crisis. This has been deliberately created by the central government".

The RSS's agenda was to ensure that India should not be a secular, but a relgious nation, he said adding this will not be allowed.

India is secular nation and believers of all religions and atheists have a place in this country, he said.

After the CAA was passed by both houses of Parliament last week, there has been a massive wave of protests across the country, the Chief Minister added.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala alleged the CAA was a "great agenda" of the BJP and RSS.

State ministers-- E P Jayarajan, A K Balan, E Chandrasekharan, Kadakampally Surendran, Kadanapally Ramachandran, were among those who attended the meeting besides a host of UDF leaders like P J Joseph and M K Muneer.

General Secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama Kanthapuram Abubackar Musaliyar asserted that India was a land of all religions.