Denying CAA's implementation is like "attacking Constitution," says BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is a central subject and not a state subject and denying its implementation will be like "attacking the Constitution".

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is a central subject and not a state subject and denying its implementation will be like "attacking the Constitution". Trivedi while talking to ANI on Wednesday alleged that opposition parties were not complying with the Constitution by saying that they would not allow CAA to be implemented in their respective states.

"Our opponents are saying that they will not allow CAA to be implemented. This means that those who once said that the Constitution would be abolished are (today) destroying the Constitution, otherwise, how can any state or assembly say that they will not allow the law passed by the Centre, Parliament, to be implemented? This means that they (the opposition) are not following the Constitution, said Trivedi. Further, Trivedi claimed that denying CAA's implementation is like attacking Constitution

"CAA is a subject related to citizenship, the subject of citizenship is not a state subject, it is only a central subject. That is, it is not even a subject in the concurrent list. If any state says that it will not implement it, this means that it is directly attacking the Constitution and trying to tear down the Constitution," said Trivedi. "We are the only secular country among three or four countries... As a secular country, India has a commitment to provide proper security and protection to the religiously oppressed people of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh," Trivedi said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre on the applications seeking a stay on the Citizen Amendment Rules 2024, brought to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019. A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked the Centre to respond within three weeks and will take up the hearing on April 9, 2024.

Even though the petitioners were persistent on stay of rules in the meantime, the bench didn't pass any such order. Petitioners then said that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, be asked to give an undertaking that rules will not be implemented and citizenship will not be granted till the petitions are pending before the apex court. However, Mehta refused to make statement that Centre will not grant any citizenship in the meantime. He said whether migrants are granted citizenship or not, none of the petitioners are affected. He clarified that the CAA doesn't take away citizenship from anyone.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing one of the petitioners, asked what the sudden urgency was to notify the rules nearly four years after the CAA was passed. CAA, passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019 and getting the President's assent the following day, met with protests all across the country. The CAA came into effect on January 10, 2020. (ANI)

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