Kerala governor Khan says no state can stay away from Citizenship Act, brushes aside concerns

Speaking on the sidelines of a seminar in Kochi, Khan, added that there was no need for people to be concerned about the new citizenship law
Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan (File Photo | Parveen Negi, EPS)
Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan (File Photo | Parveen Negi, EPS)

KOCHI: Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Sunday said no state can stay away from the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) pointing out that everyone can work only within the framework of the Constitution.

Speaking on the sidelines of a seminar in Kochi, Khan, added that there was no need for people to be concerned about the new citizenship law. "The Citizenship Act is not aimed at a particular community," he said.

He, however, said he cannot comment on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's statement that Kerala will not implement the CAB. In Kerala, both the ruling Left Front and the Congress-led UDF have organised a joint protest against the CAB on Monday in Thiruvananthapuram.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had said Kerala will not implement the CAB as it is an "attack on the secular and democratic character of India".

"The Constitution of India guarantees the right to citizenship for all Indians, irrespective of their religion, caste, language, culture, gender and profession. This very right is being made void by the Citizenship Amendment Bill. A move to decide citizenship on the basis of religion amount to a rejection of the Constitution. This is an exercise to divide people on communal lines," he had said, in a statement on Wednesday.

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