Kerala Challenges Citizenship Law In SC

The Kerala government has moved the Supreme Court against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which grants Indian citizenship to minorities from three countries – Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

In the petition, the government stated that the act violates “Articles 14, 21, and 25 of the Constitution of India” and is violative of the basic structure principle of secularism as well.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that Kerala will be at the forefront for protecting the Constitution of India and the fundamental rights of its citizens.

“The suit filed by the state government in the Supreme Court against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is part of the intervention to protect civil rights from within the Constitution,” he said in a Facebook post.

Vijayan said that secularism was a fundamental characteristic of the Indian Constitution.

“To deviate from that is to undermine the Constitution. Kerala was the first state in the country to decide not to implement the wrong law. The resolution was first passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly demanding repeal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act,” Vijayan said.

“Kerala has requested other Chief Ministers of the country to intervene similarly to uphold values of Constitution. The united voice of the people are rising. Will seek every possible means for the upkeep of democracy in the country,” he said.

(ANI)