Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to his Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee requesting her to take up a move to pass a resolution in the Assembly against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). In a letter issued today, Vijayan has requested Banerjee to come up with a resolution in regard to the impact of the CAA on the “nation’s secular credentials” and urge Centre to repeal it as done by the Kerala government.

Kerala is the first state in the country to move such an anti-CAA resolution in Assembly on 31 December 2019. In his letter, Vijayan wrote that all states that are against CAA should come up with similar resolutions as it would be an “eye opener to the proponents of the CAA and the NRC”.

“Kerala has decided to address the apprehensions about NRC and that preparation of the National Population Register (NPR) will lead to NRC by staying all activities relating to NPR in the state. In this regard kind attention is drawn to the resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly on 31 December 2019, expressing its concern regarding the impact the CAA will have on our nation’s secular credentials.

The resolution requested the Central government to repeal the CAA. States, which have the opinion that CAA should be repealed, can also consider similar steps so that it will be an eye opener to the proponents of the CAA and the NRC” the letter read. Vijayan further stated that “apprehension has risen among large sections of the society consequent to the Citizenship Amendment Amendment Act, 2019.

The need of the hour is unity among all Indians who wish to protect and preserve our cherished values of democracy and secularism. People from various cross sections of the society irrespective of any difference they might have, need to stand united in preserving the basic tenets of our polity which form the corner stone of Indian democracy.

We are sure that our unity in diversity, which has stood the test of times, will ultimately emerge stronger.” Vijayan’s letter came on a day when Banerjee held a protest rally in Siliguri and said that it was shameful that we are being asked to prove our citizenship.