Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

Objecting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, ruling CPI (M) party and the opposition Congress has decided to organized a joint protest in Kerala. Previously, the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also raised his concerns against the bill.  Pinarayi Vijayan termed the bill as “unconstitutional“. He also said that the Kerala state will not accept the CAB bill.

Parliament has approved the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on Wednesday. President Ram Nath Kovind has also given his assent to the CAB bill on Thursday.

Speaking on the matter, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala told the reporters that the CM Pinrayi Vijayan will also join the protestors at Martyrs Column which is slated to take place on December 16. As quoted by ANI, he said, “We requested the Chief Minister to have a joint agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The CM has agreed. All ministers, leaders of the Assembly and Opposition will sit together at Martyrs Column on December 16 to raise our voices.”

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill), 2019 bill seeks to declare Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zorastrian, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan eligible for citizenship who came to India before December 31, 2014. Although the Bill only carries the provision of citizenship for the non-muslim population that arrived from the neighboring nations.

In the related incident, DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested in Saidapet police station (Chennai) for staging a protest and tearing off a copy of the Citizenship Amendment Act on Friday.

By Saurabh Parmar

Digital Journalist (Specializing in Indian affairs & Contemporary Political development)

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