The Congress-ruled Puducherry on Wednesday, 12 February became the first union territory in the country to adopt an assembly resolution against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, saying the law was "totally opposed to the principles of secularism" and demanding its withdrawal.
Similar assembly resolutions had been adopted by Congress-ruled Rajasthan, Punjab and Chhattisgarh, as also Kerala and West Bengal, whose Chief Ministers Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee respectively are in the forefront of the movements against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Resolution Passed Despite Kiran Bedi’s Missive Against The Move
Amidst an opposition boycott, the one-day special session of the union territory assembly adopted the resolution tabled by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who chose to ignore Lt Governor Kiran Bedi's missive against the move.
Bedi in a letter on Monday, 10 February had said the act passed by Parliament is applicable to the union territory and "cannot be questioned or deliberated in any manner." Later making an intervention when two ministers accused Bedi of 'hampering' implementation of government decisions, Narayansamy said he opened her letter only now and it only contained what she had already shared with media, asking him not to table the anti-CAA resolution.
Wondering how a letter marked 'confidential' was circulated to media, he asserted the legislature was an independent authority and none can intrude into its rights and privileges.
“I have already made it clear that come what may we would bring in the anti-CAA resolution. We are ready to face any consequences even if it meant dismissal of theterritorial government.”V Narayanasamy, Chief minister of Puducherry
Strong Protests Against NRC & NPR in Puducherry Assembly
Earlier, the assembly also registered strong protest against the National Register of Citizens and National Population Register. Members of the opposition AINRC and AIADMK boycotted the session while the three nominated BJP legislators staged a walk out after registering their objection to the tabling of the resolution.
Of the eight union territories in the country, Puducherry and the National Capital Territory of Delhi each has a legislative assembly and council of ministers.
As soon as Narayansamy started reading out the contents of the resolution, BJP members V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapthy were up on their feet and objected to the moving of the resolution. They described the resolution as a "murder of democracy" and "violation of constitutional provisions" and trooped out of the House. They did not return for the rest of the session.
The resolution urged the Centre to withdraw the CAA, saying the law was "totally opposed to the principles of secularism.
After the Chief Minister, his cabinet colleagues and legislators belonging to the Congress and its ally the DMK spoke, the resolution was passed with Speaker V P Sivakolundhu saying it was "adopted unanimously.
‘CAA Had Caused Pain & Chaos Among People’
The resolution stated that the enactment of CAA in Parliament had caused “pain and chaos” among the people at large in the country and led to “peaceful agitations across the country”.
The CAA was shattering to pieces the principles of secularism which is the basis of the Constitution, it charged. Claiming that there was a hidden agenda in the CAA as the Muslims were ignored, it said the law was “totally injurious” to the great sacrifices made by Mahatma Gandhi for protection of secularism.
The resolution alleged that certain forces were trying to introduce religious sentiments by forgetting the path shown by the first Indian Prime Minister, the late Jawaharlal Nehru.
“If there was any space available for the divisive forces it would only mean that a historic blunder would be committed, hitting the cardinal principles of secularism (and) the great sacrifices made by martyrs and freedom fighters of the country,” it stated.
The resolution also expressed disappointment over the CAA not including the Sri Lankan Tamils, staying at various places and in refugee camps in the neighbouring Tamil Nadu, for Indian citizenship. Similarly, the Rohingya Muslims living as refugees in northern states of the country and have also not been included in the Act, it added. The resolution urged the Centre to withdraw the CAA, NPR and the proposed NRC.
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