CAA stir | Kerala govt challenges Citizenship Amendment Act in Supreme Court

File image of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

The Kerala government, on January 14, moved the Supreme Court of India (SC) against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala government moved the apex court under Article 131 seeking the law to be declared unconstitutional and in violation of Article 14, 21 and 25 of the Indian Constitution.

In December last year, the Kerala Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution demanding scrapping of CAA. This had made Kerala the first state in the country to do so.

Like West Bengal, Kerala has also stayed all activities connected with updation of National Population Register (NPR).

There have been widespread protests against the Act across the country, including Kerala.

According to the amended law, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. The law excludes Muslims.

Those opposing the law contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Indian Constitution. They also allege that the CAA along with National Register of Citizen (NRC) is intended to target India’s Muslim community.

The government has responded saying that CAA is only meant to grant citizenship and that it does not have provisions to take it away from anyone.

The Supreme Court is already hearing a clutch of petitions seeking declaration of CAA has unconstitutional.

(This story will be updated when more details are available)