Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of misusing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) for political gains.
Speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, Satheesan said Chief Minister Vijayan is lying about the CAA to attract votes from the minorities, especially Muslims. Questioning the sincerity of Vijayan in raising the CAA issue, he said his government has yet to withdraw most of the cases registered during the anti-CAA protests.
Countering the CM’s charge that Congress and UDF MPs have not spoken against the CAA in Parliament when it was introduced, Satheesan said Rahul Gandhi and various other UDF MPs have spoken against the CAA, details of which have been forwarded to CM Vijayan.
“There is no need to convince Pinarayi Vijayan about Congress’s struggle and programmes against CAA,” he said.
He alleged that 12 firms have invested in the company of CM’s daughter with the aim of tax evasion. The chief minister should respond to this, Satheesan said.
Congress Working Committee member Shashi Tharoor said the LDF is spreading lies and distorting facts about the Congress’s role in opposing the CAA right from its introduction as a bill in Parliament.
Meanwhile, BJP’s state president K Surendran alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan are trying to polarise Muslim votes in their favour by creating fear of the CAA.
He said the chief minister is spreading the false notion that the BJP government is treating Muslims as second-class citizens.