TN Assembly passes resolution urging Centre to repeal CAA

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution urging the Centre to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 to "protect and ensure unity and communal harmony and uphold the secular principles" enshrined in the Constitution.

The Centre should also fully give up its initiatives related to preparation of the National Population Register and National Register of Citizens, Chief Minister M K Stalin said in his initial remarks on the CAA and ahead of proposing the resolution.

Tamil Nadu became the eighth state to pass a resolution against the CAA, while neighbouring Kerala and Puducherry were the first state and first union territory respectively to go against the Centre's 2019 amendment law on citizenship. The Union Territory was under Congress rule last year.

Stalin said the CAA was a a "big betrayal" of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees as it "usurped the rights" of a section of them who do not desire going back and wanted to settle down in India.

"If those (refugees) from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh can come (to India and get citizenship), why is there a bar on those belonging to Sri Lanka? This is the biggest betrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils (refugees)," he said.

Far from being concerned about Tamil refugees, the Union government actually discriminated against them and that was why this piece of legislation has to be opposed, he added.

Refugees should be treated as only fellow human beings and there must be no discrimination on any grounds, be it religion, race or their country of origin and only this could be the "correct view."

Among the arguments advanced by Stalin against the CAA included a contention that it was "against the basic structure" of the Constitution and divided people.

While the CAA provided for citizenship for refugees belonging to several faiths, "Islamic people have been deliberately avoided and since this divides people based on religious lines, our party opposed this in the introductory stage itself (in Parliament)."

India "glittered" as the world's biggest democracy only due to its "Unity in diversity" philosophy and people transcended several barriers, including religion and language due to this, he said.