CAA will be repealed if INDIA alliance assumes power: Tharoor
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala - Backing the opposition’s move to approach the Supreme Court over the enforcement of the CAA and denouncing the act as ‘unconstitutional’, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor affirmed that it would be repealed if the INDIA alliance assumes power.
Presenting historical evidence to highlight the flaws in the legislation, Tharoor argued that the CAA is both morally and constitutionally incorrect. He pointed out that ‘the basis on which partition occurred, was one country saying that religion was the basis of their country, and they went on and created Pakistan and Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad, Dr Ambedkar, had said that religion won’t be the basis of our nationhood. Our struggle for freedom is for everyone, and the constitution and nation we create will be for everyone’.
“It is clearly timed, four years after the passage of the bill, for their benefit in these elections. I’m fully in support of the decision of the Indian Union Muslim League to go to the Supreme Court against this,” he said.
Tharoor declared that if the INDIA alliance and the Congress party assume power, they will unequivocally revoke this provision of the law, and will be a part of their manifesto.
“And I must say, if the INDIA alliance and the Congress party come to power, we will withdraw this provision of the law beyond any shadow of a doubt. It’s going to be in our manifesto. We will not support introducing
If the INDIA alliance and the Congress party come to power, we will withdraw this provision of the law beyond any shadow of a doubt. It’s going to be in our manifesto
religion into our citizenship and into our nation’s life,” Tharoor said. However, Delhi Haj Committee Chairman Kausar Jahan welcomed the move and said that the act is meant to give citizenship and not take it away.
“I welcome this. This is an act to give citizenship and not take it away. The condition of non
Muslims in our neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh is not good. If the govt wants to give them a respectful life, what is the problem with it? The Muslim community will not have any problem with this, there is no need to panic,” she said.
Meanwhile, UDF Chairman
and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said that widespread agitation programmes against the implementation of CAA will be conducted nationwide.
“The Congress and the UDF will resist the efforts of the Sangh Parivar forces to reap political gains by creating division and fear among the people. The law will not be allowed to be enforced under any circumstances,” he added.
DYFI moves SC
Meanwhile, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the Communist Party of India
(Marxist) on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court demanding to stay the implementation of CAA.
DYFI contended that granting citizenship based on the religion of immigrants offends the fundamental principle of secularism, which is enshrined as the basic structure of the Constitution. The writ petition filed stated that the petitioner has been aggrieved by the enactment of CAA wherein first-time religion is used as a reference point/condition for the acquisition of Indian citizenship for illegal/undocumented migrants.
SHASHI THAROOR