NEW DELHI, Jan 26 (NNN-PTI) – The lawmaking body in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Saturday, passed a resolution demanding scrapping of the controversial new citizenship law in the country, officials said.
The move comes at a time when countrywide protests against the new law are raging in various Indian states.
“We urge the Central (federal) govt to repeal the law, as it discriminates against people on religious grounds, which violates the provisions of our Constitution,” Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, said.
“Our Constitution prohibits any kind of discrimination. This is the first time in the history of the nation that a law has been enacted, which discriminates people on religious grounds. It violates secular principles of our Constitution and also Article 14 of our Constitution.”
Rajasthan is the third state in India to pass the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) resolution, after Kerala and Punjab.
The law aims at granting citizenship to illegal immigrants belonging to six religions — Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Parsi and Christianity — from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, it has kept out Muslim immigrants from applying for citizenship.– NNN-PTI
