Following through with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)’s election promise, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin adopted a resolution on Wednesday urging the union government to repeal the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019. The state argues that the CAA isn’t secular, it doesn’t support refugees but it discriminates based on religion and country of origin. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked out in protest and its ally and principal Opposition, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), walked out even before the resolution was tabled. However, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), supported the resolution.
The resolution stated that the CAA is not in tune with the secular principles prescribed by the Constitution. “…and also not conducive to the communal harmony that prevails in India. As per established democratic principles, a Country should be governed taking into consideration the aspirations and concerns of the people belonging to all sections of the society. But it is clearly seen that the CAA was passed in such a way that it does not accord warm support to the refugees considering their plight, but instead discriminates (against) them according to their religion and their country of origin. Therefore, to protect and ensure the unity and communal harmony of this Country and to uphold the secular principles enshrined in the Constitution of India, this August House resolves to urge the Union Government to repeal CAA, 2019.”
With this, Tamil Nadu joins states such as Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal in passing resolutions against CAA. Stalin also drew attention to Sri Lankan refugees who are not covered under the CAA–the DMK has promised them citizenship on humanitarian grounds. After forming the government in May, Stalin dropped charges against anti-CAA protesters. This is also the second legislation passed by the BJP-led Centre that Stalin’s new DMK government has opposed in the assembly. In August, the Tamil Nadu government moved a resolution against the three farm laws.
Tamil Nadu BJP’s floor leader Nainar Nagendran defended their party’s decision to enforce the CAA that allows India citizenship for persecuted immigrants except Muslims from three neighbouring countries — Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. “It’s 100% not against minorities,” Nagendran said in the assembly and walked out.
The AIADMK walked out ahead of the resolution being tabled, saying that the schemes introduced during former chief minister and AIADMK leader late J Jayalalithaa’s regime were being stalled. “They are scrapping Amma’s (Jayalalithaa’s) schemes one by one, and they are not even allowing us to raise these issues,” leader of Opposition Edappadi Palaniswami told reporters outside the assembly. “We condemned this so we walked out.”
The party has not commented on the resolution and has had differing stances on CAA. The AIADMK, during its regime, voted in favour of the CAA in Parliament. But later, the AIADMK made a promise to the contrary in its election manifesto ahead of the assembly elections in April–they said they would ask the union government to withdraw CAA for the protection of the rights of minorities.
This story first appeared on hindustantimes.com