Puducherry Assembly adopts resolution against CAA, NPR and NRC

The Congress-ruled Puducherry on Wednesday became the first union territory in the country to adopt an assembly resolution against the controversial CAA, saying the law was "totally opposed to the principles of secularism" and demanding its withdrawal.

Similar assembly resolutions had been adopted by Congress-ruled Rajasthan, Punjab and Chhattisgarh, as also Kerala and West Bengal, whose Chief Ministers Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee respectively are in the forefront of the movements against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Amidst an opposition boycott, the one-day special session of the union territory assembly adopted the resolution tabled by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who chose to ignore Lt Governor Kiran Bedi's missive against the move.

Bedi in a letter on Monday had said the act passed by Parliament is applicable to the union territory and "cannot be questioned or deliberated in any manner."
The resolution urged the Centre to withdraw the CAA, saying the law was "totally opposed to the principles of secularism."
After the Chief Minister, his cabinet colleagues and legislators belonging to the Congress and its ally the DMK spoke, the resolution was passed with Speaker V P Sivakolundhu saying it was "adopted unanimously."
"If there was any space available for the divisive forces it would only mean that a historic blunder would be committed, hitting the cardinal principles of secularism (and) the great sacrifices made by martyrs and freedom fighters of the country."