Kerala's Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, criticized the Congress Party on Tuesday for what he perceives as their silence on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in their election manifesto. He accused the Congress of showing reluctance to address the contentious act, highlighting it as a significant omission.
Speaking at a press conference, Vijayan pointed out that while the Congress manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls pledges to revoke various laws that violate constitutional norms, such as the GST, it conspicuously avoids any mention of the CAA.
Vijayan remarked, "The deliberate omission of the CAA from the manifesto indicates the Congress's apprehension to confront the issue directly, despite boldly naming other laws for repeal."
He also challenged the assertion made by the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, regarding the manifesto's purported assurance of protection for linguistic and religious minorities in the country.
Vijayan referred to page 8 of the Congress manifesto, where the party vows to safeguard the fundamental right to practice one's faith and the rights of religious minorities as enshrined in various articles of the Constitution. However, he argued that the manifesto fails to address the concerns raised by the CAA.
"The CAA fundamentally contravenes Article 14 of the Constitution, yet Article 14 is noticeably absent from page 8 of the manifesto as claimed by Satheesan," Vijayan emphasized.
While acknowledging the Congress's commitment to review and amend anti-people laws enacted by the BJP-NDA, particularly those affecting workers, farmers, criminal justice, environment, forests, and digital data protection, Vijayan welcomed the initiative, expressing agreement on behalf of the CPI(M).
The Citizenship (Amendment) bill, passed in December 2019 and subsequently approved by the President, sparked nationwide protests, with various opposition parties condemning it as discriminatory. The CAA, effective since January 10, 2020, extends Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities who migrated from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014.
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