Governor's stand on CAA unfortunate: Kerala Assembly Speaker

Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan on Friday termed Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's statement on Assembly's resolution against the amended citizenship law as 'unfortunate' and said the new Act is 'unconstitutional'.

Thiruvananthapuram:Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan on Friday termed as unfortunate Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's stand questioning the legal sanctity of the resolution passed by the House seeking scrapping of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

The Assembly did not cross any constitutional limits, but the amendment to the Citizenship Act was a clear violation of Article 14 and 15 of the Indian Constitution, the Speaker told reporters here.

"The statements made by the Governor were unfortunate. We did not cross any constitutional limits. But the amendment to the Citizenship Act is a clear violation of Articles 14 and 15," he said.

The Assembly had, on December 31, 2019, passed a resolution expressing its concern regarding the impact of the Act on the nation's 'secular credentials' and asked the central government to repeal the CAA.

However, the Governor has been maintaining that the resolution had no legal sanctity or constitutional validity and does not serve any purpose.

"If the Kerala Assembly passes a resolution that America should invade Afghanistan, then they are only wasting time", Khan told reporters at Kottayam, taking a dig at the non-BJP parties for adopting a resolution which "goes against the Constitution."

While maintaining that the Assembly had a right and responsibility to mark its protest to uphold the constitutional values, the Speaker said those against the resolution should show the clause which says the House cannot pass such a resolution.

"We have a responsibility to do this. We have the right to uphold the values of the constitution. Let them show us the clause that says state assembly can't pass a resolution on this. I haven't seen any such clause in the Indian constitution. At the same time we see Article 14 and 15 which is against discrimination," Speaker said.

Sreeramakrishnan said the Assembly was not making any law against the state.

CAA is based on religion and is purely unconstitutional and the assembly has the right to express its feelings, he said.

"We are not making any law against Parliament. We are just passing a resolution and sending it to the central government. As a democratic country we have the right to express our feelings," the Speaker said.

He also dismissed the report of breach of privilege motion moved against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by BJP's Rajya Sabha member G V L Narasimha Rao in the upper house of Parliament.

"It will not stand, no one can bring a privilege motion against something that happened in another assembly. If you have to register a privilege motion you have to be part of the same Assembly, otherwise, you can't," the Speaker said.

The ruling CPI(M) also attacked the Governor alleging he was playing a political game and was acting as BJP's state president.

Khan was making statements that do not augur well for the position being held by him, the CPI (M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said in a statement.

The governor is making statements that do not suit his position, he said.