NEW DELHI: While chief ministers of some opposition-ruled states have outrightly rejected the implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Congress has maintained that it is ideologically opposed to the law but fell short of taking a stand in the party-ruled states.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has been vocal in rejecting the implementation of the legislation. Kerala CM Pinrayi Vijayan has also said that it will not allow in the state.
However, the Centre has said that the states have no choice but to implement it.
Interestingly, after it was passed by Parliament on December 11, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh had rejected it but chief ministers of Congress-ruled states — Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan have said that they will tread the party line while they opposed the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, an alliance partner of BJP, Friday also opposed the NRC.
When asked about party’s official stand on CAA implementation in Congress-ruled states, spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: “Congress would not like to comment. There are no rules in place as of now and till we reach that stage, there is no need to discuss that. The party is ideologically against the law.”
The party’s decision to refrain from taking a clear stand in states ruled by it comes when Congress president Sonia Gandhi has called the legislation discriminatory and divisive.