CPI(M) hits out at Kerala Guv, says, 'His preachings against dignity of Constitution'

Communist Party of India (Marxist) Secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has hit out at Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan after he criticized a resolution passed by the state assembly against the Citizenship Act. He has asked Kerala Governor to point out the wrongdoings of the state Assembly instead of criticizing them baselessly.

'Can he point out what is the violation?'

"Governor's preachings do not stand the dignity of the Constitution. He is saying the Assembly resolution is against the Constitution. Can he point out what is the violation that the Kerala Assembly has done? Can he clarify that on what basis is he criticising the assembly proceedings? There have been several instances in the past when a resolution has been passed by the Kerala Assembly. Even then you had central governments and Governors," Balakrishnan's statement on Friday read.

'He is engaging in cheap politics'

"Governor Arif Mohammed Khan is behaving in ways that were not seen then. He is engaging in cheap politics," he added.  Asserting that the Governor had no right to interfere in the proceedings of the state Assembly, the CPI(M) leader added that Khan was behaving like the "state BJP chief". "It would have been nice if the Governor would have read parts of the 2016 Supreme Court judgement in the Arunachal case. The SC had ordered that Governor has no right to interfere in the proceedings of state Assembly. The state BJP chief role play of Governor is without understanding the Constitution, SC verdict, and laws of the land," his statement read.

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The Governor had said on Thursday that the resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has "no legal or constitutional validity". "This resolution has no legal or constitutional validity because citizenship is exclusively a central subject. This actually means nothing," Khan told the media persons.

The state assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution seeking withdrawal of the amended law. The Citizenship Amendment Act, approved by Parliament on December 11, provides citizenship to refugees from six minority religious communities from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, provided they have lived in India for six years and entered the country by December 31, 2014. The Act has been widely criticised for excluding Muslims. Massive protests have taken place against the Act over the last three weeks.

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(With ANI inputs)