HYDERABAD: A la Kerala, Telangana appears to be on a collision course with the Governor on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has already declared that the State Assembly would adopt a resolution demanding the repeal of the “highly discriminatory” Central legislation.
If he does so in the ensuing budget session of the Assembly, it would surely lead to a confrontation between the State and the Raj Bhavan. Telangana would then be the fifth State in the country to adopt such a resolution.
So far, the non-BJP-ruled States have adopted anti-CAA resolutions. However, adopting a resolution against the CAA and sending it to the Ministry of Home Affairs by the State government is expected to lead to a row between the State government and the Raj Bhavan.
In the last six years, the relation between the Raj Bhavan and the Chief Minister has been cordial in the State.
While Chandrasekhar Rao held the then Governor ESL Narasimhan in high esteem, the latter too lauded several schemes of the State government, including the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
Since the formation of Telangana, the CMO has been on friendly terms with the Raj Bhavan. However, the present Governor, Tamilisai Soundararajan, had political allegiance to the BJP before she occupied the gubernatorial post.
She may not approve the resolution seeking the withdrawal of the CAA even if the State Legislative Assembly adopts it, following in the footsteps of the Kerala Governor.
It may be mentioned here that when the Kerala State Legislative Assembly first adopted a resolution against the CAA in the country, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said it had no Constitutional or legal validity. He said the CAA was purely a Central subject and there was no issue of any illegal migrants in Kerala.
The same is the case with Telangana. There are no major illegal migrants in Telangana, as per the State government’s figures.
When several non-BJP States began adopting resolutions against the CAA, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad too said the issue of citizenship was under the Centre’s list and the Centre could make laws on the Central subjects.
When contacted, legal expert and BJP MLC N Ramachandra Rao said the State government has nothing to do with the Central Act.
“KCR should not venture to adopt a resolution in the Assembly against the Central Act, which is entirely monitored by the Centre. If at all the Centre requires any help for enquiry or other matters, the State can do so,” Ramachandra Rao said.
He remarked that adopting a resolution in the Legislature was nothing but “vote bank politics” to appease one community.
According to the Constitution, the States have no role in the Acts on the Central subjects. Article 245 of the Constitution deals with the extent of laws made by the Parliament and by the Legislatures of States.