West Bengal Assembly passes resolution against CAA, becomes fourth state to take this step

The Trinamool Congress government on Monday passed a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the West Bengal Assembly, thus becoming the fourth state to take this step. The state follows Punjab, Kerala and Rajasthan to vote against the law.

After the move, state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted that the state government will not allow the CAA, National Population Register (NPR), and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal. "This protest is not only of minorities but for all. I thank my Hindu brothers for leading this protest from the forefront. In Bengal, we won't allow CAA, NPR, and NRC. We will fight peacefully," she stated.

On January 25, the Congress government in Rajasthan passed a resolution against the Act in the state assembly. The resolution was passed with voice vote amid stiff opposition by the BJP which accused the ruling Congress of pursuing appeasement politics.

The resolution passed by the Rajasthan assembly urged Centre to repeal the law as it discriminated against people on religious grounds, which violates the provisions of Constitution. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to Twitter and inform that the state assembly has passed a resolution against CAA.

"Rajasthan Assembly has passed a resolution today against the #CAA and we have urged the Central govt to repeal the law as it discriminates against people on religious grounds, which violates the provisions of our Constitution," Gehlot had said in a tweet.

The Supreme Court had refused to put a stay on the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 and granted four weeks` time to the Central government to file a reply on the petitions regarding the same.

The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.