"CAA will be repealed if INDIA alliance assumes power": Congress MP Shashi Tharoor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Backing the opposition's move to approach the Supreme Court over the enforcement of the CAA and denouncing the act as 'unconstitutional,' Congress MP Shashi Tharoor affirmed that it would be repealed if the INDIA alliance assumes power.

Presenting historical evidence to highlight the flaws in the legislation, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor argued that the CAA is both morally and constitutionally incorrect. He pointed out that "The basis on which partition occurred, was one country saying that religion was the basis of their country, and they went on and created Pakistan and Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad, Dr Ambedkar, had said that religion won't be the basis of our nationhood. Our struggle for freedom is for everyone, and the constitution and nation we create will be for everyone."

"It is clearly timed, four years after the passage of the bill, for their benefit in these elections. I'm fully in support of the decision of the Indian Union Muslim League to go to the Supreme Court against this," he said.

Tharoor declared that if the INDIA alliance and the Congress party assume power, they will unequivocally revoke this provision of the law, and will be a part of their manifesto.

"And I must say, if the INDIA alliance and the Congress party come to power, we will withdraw this provision of the law beyond any shadow of a doubt. It's going to be in our manifesto. We will not support introducing religion into our citizenship and into our nation's life," Tharoor said.

However, Delhi Haj Committee Chairman Kausar Jahan welcomed the move and said that the act is meant to give citizenship and not take it away.

"I welcome this. This is an act to give citizenship and not take it away. The condition of Non-Muslims in our neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh is not good. If the govt wants to give them a respectful life, what is the problem with it? The Muslim community will not have any problem with this, there is no need to panic," she said.

Meanwhile, UDF Chairman and Opposition Leader VD Satheesan said that widespread agitation programs against the implementation of CAA will be conducted nationwide.

"The Congress and the UDF will resist the efforts of the Sangh Parivar forces to reap political gains by creating division and fear among the people. The law will not be allowed to be enforced under any circumstances", he added.

Union Home Ministry announced the notification of rules for implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Monday, days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule.

The CAA rules, introduced by the Narendra Modi government and passed by Parliament in 2019, aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants--including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians--who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.