Punjab passes resolution against CAA
The Congress-led Punjab government in India on Friday passed a resolution against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act in the state assembly, becoming the second state in the country to do so after Kerala, reports NDTV.
‘We have sent a draft to centre to make changes necessary to make Citizenship Amendment Act acceptable to everyone. Census is being carried out now, it will be done on old level. Every citizen will be counted whether he is Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Christian or anybody,’ Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI after the resolution got passed in the assembly.
Minister Brahm Mohindra moved the resolution in the assembly by saying that the new citizenship law, passed by the parliament in December, has ‘caused countrywide anguish and social unrest in the country including Punjab’.
The resolution says the ideology behind the Citizenship Amendment Act is ‘inherently discriminatory and as far away as it can be from being a humanitarian measure.’
‘It is evident that the CAA violates the secular identity of India, which is basic feature of our Constitution, therefore, the House resolves to urge 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 India,’ the resolution read.
‘Given the apprehensions about National Register of Citizens and that the National Population Register is a prelude to the National Register of Citizens designed to deprive a section of persons from citizenship of India and implement Citizenship Amendment Act, this house further resolves that central government should amend the forms/documentation associated with the National Population Register to allay such apprehension in the minds of the people and only thereafter undertake work of enumeration under National Population Register,’ the resolution added.
Meanwhile, a number of AMU faculty members and retired teachers took out a peaceful protest march against CAA and NRC on the campus on Thursday, reports The Times of India.
Shouting slogans, the protesters took out a rally from the staff club to Duck Point. They said, ‘We express our anguish, shock and strong condemnation on the passage of the discriminatory and anti-secular Citizenship Amendment Act that has linked citizenship to religion. It has been opined by the Supreme Court in a number of cases that secularism enshrined in the Preamble is the basic feature of the Constitution.’
‘We appreciate the initiative taken by the students of Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University, JNU and other universities against this unlawful Act. Their sacrifices will make history. The lack of far-sightedness of the AMU administration is clear,’ they added.
They also strongly condemned the lathicharge, firing and brutality shown by the police against students in both AMU and JMI that left several injured.
The protesters said that the AMU administration has entirely failed to use the age-old system of pro-proctors, proctorial team, teachers and alumni to meet exigencies on the campus.
‘We consider the acts of AMU administration unnecessary and uncalled for. Students have full right to peacefully demonstrate against any injustice without hampering their studies and examinations. Therefore, we appeal to the students to attend classes, appear for examinations and remain non-violent in protests,’ they added.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
