Citizenship is a subject of the Centre, not of the State: Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi

Echoing his views against the Congress government over Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Rajasthan Assembly Speaker and senior Congress leader has said that the Government of India has passed the Act and the state government has to implement it as mentioned in the Constitution.

Calling, citizenship a subject of the Centre, not of the State, C P Joshi who was presiding at an award ceremony in Meera Girls College in Udaipur said, "Government of India has passed the Act and state government has to implement it because citizenship is a subject of the Centre and not of the State".

Joshi’s statement comes a month after the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan passed an Assembly resolution against the CAA.

Moreover while explaining his point, Joshi added, "If the central government has made a law in the corporate subject, no state can make a law against it". Rajasthan unit BJP president Satish Poonia on Sunday welcomed the statement made by Assembly Speaker CP Joshi.

Poonia told media, "I welcome and congratulate CP Joshi for supporting the CAA". The BJP state president mentioned that Joshi is not alone to support CAA as other Congress leaders like Shashi Tharoor, Jairam Ramesh, Salman Khurshid, and Kapil Sibal have also supported the Citizenship Amendment Act.

"It's a high time that people who are opposing the act should accept it as it opens the doors of getting nationality status for the people who want to live with respect", Poonia added.

However, chief minister Ashok Gehlot has repeatedly declared that CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) will not be implemented in the state.