New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: A day after the BJP criticised Kerala assembly for passing a resolution against the contentious Citizenship Act, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday rejected BJP’s claims and criticism and said that the state assemblies have their own privileges.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday, hours after the Kerala assembly passed the resolution demanding the scrapping of Citizenship law, had hit out at the Kerala government and said that Kerala CM should get better legal advice. Prasad attacking the resolution said, "It is only Parliament which has got the powers to pass any law with regard to citizenship; not any assembly, including the Kerala Assembly."
BJP's Rajya Sabha member, GVL Narasimha Rao also wrote to the House chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to initiate a breach of parliamentary privileges and contempt proceedings against the Kerala Chief Minister over the resolution.
Responding to the GVL Narsimha Rao’s allegations of breaching parliamentary privileges, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said, “State Assemblies have its own privileges. Such actions are unheard of anywhere. But we cannot rule out anything in the present circumstance as unprecedented things are happening now-a-days in the country, adding the assemblies have its own special protection and it should not be violated”.
“Kerala has become the first state to pass a resolution against a law which has been violating the fundamental principles of the Constitution and it has great significance”, the chief minister added.
Apart from Kerala, other Chief Ministers of non-BJP ruled states like Mamata Banerjee have already announced they will not implement the controversial law in their respective states. However, CPI(M)-ruled Kerala was the first to take the legislature route to register its opposition to the law.
Setting aside their political differences, the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and Opposition Congress headed UDF, once again came together to launch a joint fight against the Centre on the CAA, which has seen unprecedented protests all over the country.
Keeping their political differences aside, the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and Opposition Congress headed UDF came along to fight against the Centre over the Citizenship Act, which has led to pan-India protests. Vijayan, who moved the resolution and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, who seconded it, alleged that Citizenship Law was an attempt to make India a religious nation.
The only BJP member in the assembly, O Rajagopal rejected the allegation saying the Act was being "misinterpreted" and lies were being spread by the opposition parties for narrow political gains.