THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an apparent bid to reap rich electoral dividends from the resentment prevailing in the state against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a scathing attack on the Congress’ top leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of being “untrustworthy”.
Pinarayi told a news conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday that the Congress was playing a “deceitful hide and seek” on CAA and claimed only the Left could fiercely resist the “communal” legislation.
“Neither the Congress nor its national president has uttered a word against CAA. Rahul Gandhi, who is undertaking the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, is behaving as if he is unaware of the issue,” the CM said.
He said Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had limited his comments on the CAA issue to a brief post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Pinarayi also attacked AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal for asking why there was a “delay” by BJP in implementing CAA for over four years after it was passed by the Parliament.
Terming CAA as a “threat to the very idea of India”, Pinarayi said only the Left could resist it fiercely. Listing the Left’s numerous interventions in the CAA issue right from the beginning, he reiterated the LDF government’s resolve to fight the legislation “from the forefront” and “never to retreat even an inch”.
629 anti-CAA protest cases withdrawn: CM
T’Puram: With the LDF government coming under flak for not withdrawing cases registered in connection with anti-CAA protests in 2019, the CM clarified that only 206 such cases remain before courts, of which the government has agreed to withdraw 84. “Of the total 835 cases registered, 629 have been withdrawn.
Of the remaining 206 cases, the government has given sanction to withdraw 84. It is for the respective courts to decide,” Pinarayi said. He underscored that cases could be withdrawn only on the basis of applications from those involved. He said that the pending cases comprise those of a serious nature and also those for which applications have not been received for withdrawal.
