Ruling, Oppn fronts hold joint protest in Kerala against CAA

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Ramesh Chennithala began a joint "satyagraha" here on Monday to protest against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

State ministers, LDF leaders, Congress led United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders are among those taking part in the three-hour long protest at the Martyr's column here which began at 10 am.

Kerala was the first state to declare that CAA would not be implemented in the southern state.

"The state has decided to put up a united protest as the Act has created concern among the citizens and it destroys the values of equality and secularism enshrined in the Constitution," Vijayan has said in a Facebook post.

Prominent personalities from socio cultural fields are among those taking part in the protest.

According to the amended Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants, but given Indian citizenship.