The Cabinet agreed with the Chief Minister’s views that the CAA, especially when coupled with NRC and NPR, was violative of the Preamble of the Constitution, which is the bedrock of the country’s foundation.
The Punjab government has decided to bring a resolution in upcoming Vidhan Sabha session on controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).
This was decided here Tuesday by the Punjab Council of Ministers during an informal discussion after the Cabinet meeting. A government statement said that the government will go by the will of the House on the way forward.
Congress has 80 legislators in the House of 117 and has a majority. It does not require any other member of opposition to pass a resolution. Aam Aadmi Party has already opposed the CAA. Akalis, however, had voted in favour of the Bill in Lok Sabha. The Akalis are also planning a protest on hike in power tariff in the Assembly. It remains to be seen whether they would participate in the discussion on the resolution being moved by the government or stage a walk-out.
The statement said the ministers expressed serious concern over the implications of the blatantly unconstitutional and divisive CAA and NRC, as well as the NPR. They also expressed alarm over the violence that had erupted across the country over the issues, which threatened to rip apart the secular fabric of the nation.
The Cabinet was of the view that the matter was bound to be raised during the two-day special session of the Assembly on January 16-17, and it was unanimously decided by the ministers, led by the Chief Minister, that the government should accept the will of the House and go by the same, the statement added.
The Cabinet agreed with the Chief Minister’s views that the CAA, especially when coupled with NRC and NPR, was violative of the Preamble of the Constitution, which is the bedrock of the country’s foundation. Advocate General Atul Nanda also presented the legal perspective on the matter before the Council of Ministers.
The government will construct its strategy to deal with the issue in accordance with the recommendation of the House, the statement said.
Source: The Indian Express