MP Cabinet passes resolution against CAA

Won’t allow NRC, says Uddhav Thackeray

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Wednesday passed a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and sought its abrogation, contending the new law was against the Constitution’s secular character.

The resolution was passed during the state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Kamal Nath, Public Relations Department minister P C Sharma told reporters.

Madhya Pradesh is currently ruled by the Congress. Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal have already passed resolutions demanding scrapping of the CAA.

Sharma said the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet passed the resolution describing CAA as

“against the secular character of the Indian Constitution and differentiating people on religious lines”. The CAA passed by Parliament in December last year endangers the “country’s secular fabric and tolerant nature,” the minister added.

“Secularism is the basic foundation of the Indian Constitution and which can’t be changed. It is clearly mentioned in the Constitution that India is a secular country.

Besides, Article 14 of the

Constitution grants equality to all citizens of the country under the law,” reads the resolution by the state Cabinet.

It asked the Centre to not only take back the CAA, but also clear doubts in the minds of citizens on the issue, as people across the country were protesting against it.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said there was no need to fear the CAA, but asserted his government will not allow the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) to be implemented as it would “impact people of all religions”. “I can confidently say the CAA is not meant to throw Indian citizens out of the country. But, the NRC is going to impact Hindus as well,” the Sena president said.