‘CAB Will Not Be Implemented In Our State’: Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal Chief Ministers

After West Bengal Chief Minister(CM) Mamata Banerjee, chief ministers of Kerala, and Punjab on Thursday, December 12 said that the Citizenship Amendment Bill(CAB) will not be implemented in their respective states.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan called the Bill ‘anti-constitutional’ and said that the state government cannot be forced to implement the legislation even though the citizenship falls under the Union List.

Pointing out that CAB is a direct assault on India’s secular character, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh said his government will not let the legislation be implemented in Punjab.

On December 6, at an event in Kolkata, Banerjee said, she will not accept citizenship based on religion and that her government will oppose the Bill.

West Bengal

“You can pass laws in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha forcefully because you have the numbers. But we will not let you divide the country. If everyone keeps shut, I tell you, even if I have to die for this, I will,” Banerjee was quoted in The Indian Express.

“Why will citizenship be on the basis of religion? I will not accept this. We dare you. Be it Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, give citizenship to all, and we will hit the streets and support you,” she added.

She further said that India is a secular country and that there cannot be differentiation based on religion. On Monday, December 9, she further assured that Bengal will not implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and CAB.

“We will not allow anyone to depot any person from the country. There will be no NRC and no division. There can’t be a divide and rule policy; nothing is bigger than the country. People can have big political slogans, but the country should not suffer due to it. It’s a divisive bill and should be opposed at any cost,” Banerjee was quoted in India Today.

“Not a single citizen of this country will turn a refugee. Some people are trying to create panic with their political rhetoric but let me make one thing very clear there will be no NRC and CAB. You cannot implement NRC or CAB on the basis of caste and religion,” she added.

Kerala

“Any discrimination on the basis of religion will not be allowed in Kerala. As an Indian citizen, people that belong to any or no religion have the right and freedom to live,” Vijayan said in a press meet.

Vijayan also said that the Bill is a rejection of secularism. In a tweet, he came down hard on RSS and said that the Sangh Parivar has used the majority to uproot the bedrock of Indian democracy & Constitution. “BJP has made it clear that their main political plank is communalism. We must resist,” he tweeted on Thursday.

Our democracy is in danger. With CAB, Sangh Parivar has used the majority they enjoy in the parliament to uproot the bedrock of Indian democracy & Constitution. It's a rejection of secularism. BJP has made it clear that their main political plank is communalism. We must resist.

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) December 12, 2019

Earlier on Wednesday, December 11, Vijayan had also said that CAB, which is an ‘attack on the secular and democratic character of India’ will take the country backwards.

“The Citizenship Amendment Bill is an attack on the secular and democratic character of India. The move to decide citizenship on the basis of religion amounts to a rejection of the Constitution. It will only take our country backwards. Our hard-fought freedom is at stake,” he tweeted on Wednesday.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill is an attack on the secular and democratic character of India. The move to decide citizenship on the basis of religion amounts to a rejection of the Constitution. It will only take our country backward. Our hard-fought freedom is at stake. pic.twitter.com/Yg9Y8QJLUx

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) December 11, 2019

“The Constitution of India guarantees the right to citizenship for all Indians; irrespective of their religion, caste, language, culture, gender or profession. This very right is being made void by the Citizenship Amendment Bill,” he added in a statement.

He also said that the Bill, excluding Muslims, immigrated from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan is discrimination on the basis of religion and hence is a ‘denial of natural justice.’

Punjab

Stating that CAB violates the basic principles of the constitution, Singh said that it will not be implemented in Punjab.

“Any legislation that seeks to divide people into religious lines is illegal, unethical & unconstitutional. India’s strength lies in its diversity and CAB Bill 2019 violates the basic principle of the constitution. Hence my govt will not allow the bill to be implemented in Punjab,” Singh tweeted on Thursday.

Any legislation that seeks to divide people on religious lines is illegal, unethical & unconstitutional. India's strength lies in its diversity and #CABBill2019 violates the basic principle of the constitution. Hence my govt will not allow the bill to be implemented in Punjab.

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) December 12, 2019

He added that his government will block the Bill. “We have a majority in the Assembly, and will block the Bill. We will not let it rip apart the secular fabric of the country, whose strength lies in its diversity,” he was quoted by the media.

“It is the duty of an elected government to safeguard the cherished values ingrained in the Constitution and not destroy them. How can you leave out a large section of the Indian population from the protection they have been getting since we declared India a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality and liberty,” he added.

Also Read: Massive Protests Break Out In Northeast After Rajya Sabha Passes Citizenship Bill