Bengaluru: As Kerala passed a resolution to urge the centre to scrap the Citizenship Amendment Act, Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has torn into the Pinarayi Vijayan government. 

The law minister said, “Citizenship, naturalisation and aliens are on the Union List. Therefore, it is only the parliament that has the power to pass any law with regard to citizenship, not any Assembly, including Kerala.”

Prasad said, “I would again urge the Chief Minister (Kerala) to kindly have better legal advice.” 

He further reiterated that the Citizenship Act had nothing to do with the Indian citizens and won’t strip anyone of his or her citizenship.

Earlier, the Pinarayi Vijayan government moved a resolution thus: “Citizenship Act contradicts the basic values and principles of the Constitution. In view of the anxiety among the people of the country, the Centre should take steps to drop the CAA and uphold the secular outlook of the Constitution.”

The Kerala CM is one among many chief ministers who have expressed needless anxiety and concern over the CAA, saying it discriminates against Muslims. CMs like WB CM Mamata Banerjee,

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan have openly dissented against the Modi government by saying they would not implement the Act. 

However, as per article 256, the states have no right not to implement the law. 

As per article 256 of the Indian constitution, “Obligation of States and the Union The executive power of every State shall be so exercised as to ensure compliance with the laws made by Parliament and any existing laws which apply in that State, and the executive power of the Union shall extend to the giving of such directions to a State as may appear to the Government of India to be necessary for that purpose.”

The CAA was passed by both houses of the Indian Parliament and assented by the President of India.