Kerala assembly has no constitutional or legal validity over citizenship law, says governor
India

Kerala assembly has no constitutional or legal validity over citizenship law, says governor

The Kerala Assembly Tuesday passed a resolution demanding scrapping of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, becoming the first state in the country to do so.

   
Arif Mohammad Khan | File photo | PTI

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan | File photo | PTI

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan Thursday said the resolution passed by the state assembly demanding scrapping of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has no constitutional or legal validity.

The state had no role because citizenship comes under the domain of the Central government, he told reporters here.

“The resolution has no constitutional or legal validity,” he added.

“Citizenship comes exclusively in the domain of the Central government. The state government has no role. So, why these people engaged in something which is a non-issue for Kerala?, he asked.

Pointing out that the southern state had not been affected by partition, the Governor said there are no illegal immigrants in Kerala.

The Governor has also criticised the just concluded Indian History Congress, held in Kannur, where protests had been raised against him for his remarks on the CAA.

Khan said the History Congress has claimed that it has made some recommendations to the state government, including not to cooperate with the Centre.

The recommendations are “totally illegal” and has “criminal content”, he said.

The Kerala Assembly Tuesday passed the resolution becoming the first state in the country to do so.


Also read: Why Supreme Court of India won’t strike down Modi govt’s Citizenship Amendment Act