Madhya Pradesh becomes fifth state to pass resolution against CAA

Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Wednesday (February 5) passed a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), requesting the Centre to repeal the new legislation.

Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Wednesday (February 5) passed a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre to repeal the new legislation.

“The Act differentiates between illegal immigrants on religious grounds. It’s against the secular spirit of the Constitution. For the first time since the Constitution was adopted, a law has been passed that differentiates between people according to their religion. This will endanger the secular and tolerant nature of the country,” reads the resolution.

“People are at loss to understand why such provisions have been included in the law. There is suspicion among the minds of the people. Protests have been held across the country. MP has seen peaceful protests and people belonging to all class have been part of them,” it added.

The resolution also demanded that the Centre must remove new questions from National Population Register and update the population register only after that. It is to be noted that two Madhya Pradesh BJP leaders Ajit Borasi and Maihar MLA Narayan Tripathi have also opposed the CAA, saying it is against the Constitution of India. 

Notably, Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal and Rajasthan assemblies have already passed a resolution against the CAA and it is expected that Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh would also pass a resolution against the CAA in the Budget session of its Assembly. The Telangana government has also announced that it will not implement the CAA but the state assembly is yet to pass any resolution against the new legislation.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Wednesday that his government will not pass a resolution against the CAA but the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP coalition government in Maharashtra will not allow the implementation of the proposed National Register of Citizens in the state.

“Proving citizenship will be difficult for Hindus and Muslims. I will not let NRC to come in. As Chief Minister or without Chief Minister, I will not allow anyone to take away anybody’s rights,” Thackeray said.