Punjab to go Kerala way, pass resolution on CAA, NRC

Close on the heels of the Kerala assembly, a resolution on the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be adopted by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in the upcoming session of the assembly beginning on Thursday.

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has been vocal in his criticism of the CAA and NRC. The Punjab cabinet that met yesterday held an informal discussion on the issue post the meeting. However, the Congress government in Punjab led by Capt Amarinder has said it ‘will go by the will of the House on the way forward with respect to the controversial CAA, NRC and the National Population Register (NPR).

The of ministers in Punjab expressed serious concern over the implications of the blatantly unconstitutional and divisive CAA and NRC, as well as the NPR. They also expressed alarm over the violence that had erupted across the country over the issues, which threatened to rip apart the secular fabric of the nation.

The Kerala assembly had earlier passed a resolution stating that the CAA was against secularism envisaged by the Constitution and urged the central government to repeal the law. The assembly passed the resolution against CAA at a special session of the House.
A two-day special session of the Punjab assembly has been promulgated. The cabinet felt that the matter of CAA, NRC and NPR was bound to be raised during the 2-day special session. The government said it will accept the will of the House on the issue.

Capt has maintained that the CAA, especially when coupled with NRC and NPR, was violative of the Preamble of the Constitution, which is the bedrock of the country’s foundation. Advocate General Atul Nanda also presented the legal perspective on the matter before the council of ministers.

In the house of 117 MLA’s, Congress has a majority of 80 legislators. The resolution is likely to go through without much resistance. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had voted in favour of the Bill in Lok Sabha. The opposition AAP in Punjab opposes the CAA and NRC.