Kerala Heading for a Constitutional Confrontation

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Moves Resolution Against Citizenship Amendment Act In Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is heading for a major constitutional confrontation following the State Assembly passing a resolution asking the Central Government to scrap the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Kerala is the first state to pass such a resolution wherein the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front joined hands and voted in favor of the resolution – obviously eyeing the large minority vote bank. The lone BJP MLA O Rajagopal walked out.

On Thursday, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan took on the State government saying the resolution passed by the state assembly demanding scrapping of the CAA has no constitutional or legal validity.

“Citizenship comes exclusively in the domain of the Central government. The state government has no role. So, why these people engaged in something which is a non-issue for Kerala?” he asked.

Khan pointed out that Kerala had not been affected by partition and there are no illegal immigrants in the state.

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But minutes later, State Law Minister AK Balan said the state legislatures to have privileges and that the resolution is perfectly valid.

The Governor also criticized the just-concluded Indian History Congress, held in Kannur, for recommending to the state government to not cooperate with the Centre over the CAA and NRC.

The recommendations are “totally illegal” and have “criminal content,” he said.

Earlier, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had stated that the Parliament alone has got powers to pass any law regarding citizenship and not state legislatures, “including Kerala assembly.”

“It is only the Parliament which has got the powers to pass any law with regard to citizenship; not any assembly, including Kerala Assembly.”

Kerala Assembly was earlier in a mood to pass a law, but on legal advice, it passed only a resolution against the CAA.

BJP leader and spokesperson GLV Narasihma Rao has moved the Parliament’s privileges committee against Kerala’s move.