CPM to organise Constitution protection collectives in Kannur

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala is organizing 'Constitution protection collectives' at around 104 places in politically volatile Kannur district this month as part of its continuing protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The CPI (M) will be organizing a massive rally at Thalassery on January 13, in which prominent leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran, are expected to participate, the party's Kannur district secretary M V Jayarajan told PTI.

"The program will be held under the aegis of Constitution protection committees constituted by us. This is an initiative to bring together people who believe in secularism and democracy but we have kept the communal and extremist organizations away from this," Jayarajan said.

Jayarajan also said it was against the constitution to decide citizenship on the basis of religion. "The 104 rallies will conclude by January 21. There has been a very positive response to the constitution protection collectives at various places which have encouraged us to spread the values of the constitution," Jayarajan said.

"The concern of the religious minorities should be resolved through the mobilisation of secular people and not by joining hands with communal extremists having a similar mindset of RSS," Jayarajan said. The Left-ruled state has been at the forefront of protests against the CAA.

The state Assembly had last month passed a resolution against the CAA and also stayed the National Population Register (NPR) exercise in the state considering "apprehensions" of the public that it would lead to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the wake of the controversial citizenship act. The northern parts of Kerala, especially Kannur district, witnessed political clashes, mainly between CPI(M) and BJP activists, after the assembly polls in May 2016.