Punjab passes anti-caa resolution, will move SC

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Assembly on Friday passed a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 by voice vote, seeking revocation of the changes made to the citizenship law.

The resolution brought by the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government was passed by the House after a three-and-a-halfhour discussion, making Punjab the second state after Kerala to do so. Besides the Congress, legislators from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the principal opposition party in the state Assembly, and the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) backed the resolution.

However, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP, both partners in the NDA government at the Centre, opposed it. The lone BJP member rejected the resolution outright whereas the Akalis reiterated their position that the party wanted Muslims to be

included in the list of communities eligible for grant of citizenship under the amended law.

The SAD also moved a request to seek an amendment to this effect in the official resolution, but it was disallowed by Speaker Rana KP Singh.

“The CAA violates secular identify of India, which is the basic feature of Constitution; therefore the House resolves to urge upon the Government of India to repeal the CAA to avoid any discrimination on the basis of religion in granting citizenship and to ensure equality before law for all religious groups in the country,” read the resolution moved by parliamentary affairs minister Brahm Mohindra on the second and final day of the special session of the state Assembly.