TMC MP lauds Kerala CM on resolution against CAA, says 'Bengal has fallen behind'

On Saturday, veteran TMC leader and Lok Sabha member Sougata Roy lauded the Kerala Government particularly its CM Pinarayi Vijayan for his prompt and effective action against the CAA. Earlier this week, the Kerala government moved the Supreme Court against the Citizenship Amendment Act, seeking to declare it violative of the principles of equality, freedom, and secularism enshrined in the Constitution. Roy hailed the Kerala CM for this move stating that West Bengal, in that matter, had lagged behind in taking appropriate action against the contentious Act. 

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This statement by the TMC MP comes as a shocker since the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front is considered to be the bete-noire of the Mamata Banerjee led party. "I must give credit, not to CPI-M, but to (Kerala Chief Minister) Pinarayi Vijayan. He has passed a resolution in the Assembly against CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) by taking along all the parties," Roy said while addressing a party workshop on the new law.

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'We did it before Kerala, Punjab': Nirmal Ghosh

Trying to salvage the situation of utter embarrassment, Trinamool chief whip in the state Assembly Nirmal Ghosh stated that a resolution was passed in the House against the NRC much before Punjab and Kerala. Responding to that Sougata Roy said, "Kerala has done it in a more organised way. Punjab is also doing it. They have adopted resolution after the CAA was passed. Treading in the footsteps of its Kerala counterpart, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh led Punjab Assembly also adopted a resolution seeking immediate repeal of the law. 

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"In our assembly, we have passed a resolution against the communal politics of the BJP. All parties, except BJP, backed the resolution. But it was done before the CAA was passed. So in that way, we are a small step behind Kerala," he said.

Read: No other way than implementing citizenship law: Kerala Governor

(With Agency Inputs)