'Unconstitutional' CAA Will Not be Implemented in Congress-ruled States, Says KC Venugopal

Kochi: Upping the ante against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the Congress on Friday said the "unconstitutional" legislation will not be implemented in the party-ruled states.

AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal also said marches led by Congress chief ministers will be organised in their respective states from December 22 as part of the fight to protect the Constitution, "threatened by the fascist-rule" of the BJP.

"No question of implementing this law in the Congress-ruled states... This is an unconstitutional law. The states cannot be forced to implement an unconstitutional legislation," he told PTI.

Venugopal maintained the CAA brought by the BJP-led government "violates the basic tenets of our Constitution", which ensures equality before law. "Our Constitution says the state shall not deny to any person equality before the law. The BJP government brought the legislation sabotaging this basic principles of the Constitution. The government is dividing the people in the name of religion. This cannot be accepted", he said.

Noting that the legislation has been challenged in the Supreme Court, Venugopal said "the states do not have the responsibility to implement an unconstitutional law." His statement comes as protests against the controversial CAA spread to several parts of the country.

Venugopal was speaking after his arrest in Alappuzha while leading a protest march organised by the District Congress Committee against the police action on protesters, including students, in various parts of the country. The Congress leader claimed the protests across the country against the CAA were not a "political fight".

"It is a big mass movement against an authoritarian regime. All Congress workers in the country will become part of this movement," he said. Accusing the government of using force and other undemocratic means to suppress the "people's movement", Venugopal said the Congress expressed solidarity with the students, youths and other sections who are on the streets fighting for their "democratic rights".

"Ruthless Britishers were ousted by the people of the country through peaceful agitations led by Indian National Congress during the independence struggle. So if the government thinks that it can suppress the voice of the people using force, that will not succeed", he said.