Kerala Assembly Election 2021: BJP, CPI(M) Spar Over CAA Implementation

As the campaign for the Kerala assembly poll entered its crucial phase, the BJP and CPI(M) today raked up the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) with the BJP pledging to fulfill its promises and the Left declaring that the controversial law will not be implemented in the state.

Kerala had witnessed separate massive protests by CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF, seeking to withdraw the CAA, describing it as "discriminatory" and "anti-Muslim".

Senior BJP leader and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the party will implement the promises made by it to the people during elections.

Addressing an election meeting at the Puthuppally Assembly constituency in Kerala's Kottayam district, Rajnath Singh said the BJP had made promises that a party-led government at the Centre would abrogate Article 370, enact Citizenship Amendment Act and bring law against triple talaq to protect the marriage of Muslim women.

The veteran leader said the BJP government has abolished the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, passed the Citizenship Amendment Act to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and made law to protect Muslim women from the practice of instant divorce.

"We fulfilled all the promises made to the people," Mr Singh said referring to the actions taken by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre to implement these promises made during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

His statement comes days after the party's national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while campaigning in Assam and West Bengal respectively, asserted that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, passed by the Parliament, will be implemented in time.

Addressing an LDF rally at Purameri in Kerala's Kozhikode district, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today asserted that the CAA will not be implemented in Kerala.

"We have already stated that the CAA will not be implemented in Kerala. The union ministers, including the Home Minister, are saying that the CAA will be implemented. Again, we make it clear that we will not implement the CAA in the state," the senior CPI(M) leader said.

The Marxist veteran alleged that the Muslims and Christians were targeted by the right wing for practicing their religious faith.

Referring to the alleged harassment of a group of nuns during a train journey in Uttar Pradesh recently, Mr Vijayan said they were targeted for their religious habits.

He alleged that such incidents displayed the "intolerance" of Sangh Parivar towards the minorities.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)