'Laws passed in LS must be respected,' says Speaker Om Birla amid nationwide anti-CAA stir

Amid the ongoing nationwide protests over Citizenship Amendement Act, National Register of Citizens, and National Population Register, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Wednesday responded to the opposition parties who have been opposing CAA, NRC, and NPR. 

In his response, he stated that everyone must respect laws passed in Parliament as they naturally have the consent of common people. 

"In India, everyone has the right to speak but the law formed by the government should be respected. The laws passed in the Parliament naturally have the consent of the public," the Lok Sabha speaker said in Udaipur while at an inaugural function of Acharya Shyamlal Kumawat's statue. 

Talking about the recent ruckus in Rajasthan Assembly, following which the Speaker CP Joshi stated that he was feeling tortured, Birla said: "A Speaker has to work thoughtfully. CP Joshi, the Speaker of the Rajasthan Assembly, is doing well in his place."
On February 12, following a heated debate on Kota infant deaths in the Assembly, Speaker CP Joshi had to stand up and say, "I am feeling tortured of holding the Chair."

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Non-BJP states boycott CAA

Various non-BJP and opposition ruling states have decided to not implement the amended Citizenship Act. Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Punjab, and Rajasthan have refused to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed NRC in their respective states.

In a special assembly session held on February 12, the Puducherry assembly passed a resolution against the citizenship amendment act which was boycotted by the principal opposition party NR Congress and AIADMK MLAs.

READ | Karnataka Congress MLA calls CAA unconstitutional; 'can't give citizenship on caste-creed'

About CAA

The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains, and Parsis who had arrived in India by December 31, 2014, from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh to escape religious persecution. Opposition parties say the law is against India's Constitution as it makes religion a ground for citizenship.

The country has been witnessing protests against the legislation since its passage in Parliament in December 2019, with protesters arguing that the CAA in combination with other citizenship measures like the National Population Register and the National Register of Citizens can be used to discriminate against people. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has denied the charges.

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(With inputs from ANI)