The introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the Central government has sparked significant controversy in Kerala, particularly amidst the Lok Sabha elections. This move has triggered separate demonstrations by the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF, while the BJP has staunchly defended it, emphasizing that it does not target Muslims.
Protests have erupted across various parts of Kerala against the Centre's notification regarding the CAA, with both the LDF and the UDF organizing marches towards Central government institutions to express their opposition to the decision.
Following Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's condemnation of the CAA as divisive and his assurance that it wouldn't be enforced in the state, senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar criticized him, accusing Vijayan of misleading the public.
Javadekar clarified that the CAA's intent is not to revoke anyone's citizenship but to grant it to refugees persecuted on religious grounds who sought shelter in India. He emphasized that the act is not discriminatory against Muslims, as they are not persecuted for their religion in Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan.
While the Centre announced the implementation of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, Vijayan reiterated Kerala's stance that the Act, which treats Muslim minorities as second-class citizens, would not be implemented.
The LDF countered by alleging that the RSS agenda to establish a Hindu Rashtra is behind the CAA, accusing the Centre of issuing the notification before the elections to fuel religious polarization.
In response, the UDF criticized Vijayan's government, questioning its sincerity on the issue and highlighting discrepancies in handling cases related to protests against the CAA.
Congress leader V D Satheesan criticized the Centre's affidavit in the Supreme Court, stating that determining citizenship based on religion contradicts the Constitution and vowed to uphold its principles.
BJP state president K Surendran accused both the LDF and UDF of exploiting the CAA issue to divide people, alleging Vijayan's establishment of a "concentration camp" in Kollam to detain illegal immigrants.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) announced its intention to challenge the government's decision to implement the CAA in the Supreme Court, citing concerns over its impact on the country's fundamental principles.
DYFI's All India President, A A Rahim, emphasized the threat posed by the CAA to secularism in India and urged other chief ministers to follow Vijayan's lead in opposing it.
Despite being passed in December 2019, the CAA had not come into effect due to the absence of notified rules. The act aims to grant citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
