Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan writes to 11 non-BJP CMs for united stand against CAA
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 3: Days after a Kerala Assembly resolution demanded that the CAA be scrapped, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday wrote to 11 non-BJP chief ministers asking them to take similar steps against the controversial law and pitching for unity to protect democracy and secularism.
The Kerala assembly had on Tuesday passed the resolution -- supported by ruling CPIM-led LDF and opposition Congress headed UDF -- demanding the repeal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Kerala became the first state to take such a course amid the continuing protests against the citizenship law in various parts of the country.
Vijayan, who has been strident in his opposition to the CAA, wrote to chief ministers of 11 states, including Bihar's Nitish Kumar, an ally of BJP, saying there was need to stand united in preserving the country's democracy and secularism.
"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 differences they might have, need to stand united in preserving the basic tenets of our polity which form the cornerstone of Indian democracy," he said in his letter, a copy of which was released to the media here.
Vijayan, the lone Left Chief Minister in the country, claimed apprehensions have arisen among large sections of the society consequent to the CAA.
He drew the attention of the 11 states to the resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly on December 31 expressing its concern regarding the impact the CAA on the "nation's secular credentials" and urging the Centre to repeal it.
States, which have the opinion that the CAA should be repealed, can also consider similar steps so that it will be an "eyeopener" to the proponents of the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC)," Vijayan said.
The Marxist veteran expressed hope that the unity in diversity of the country, which has stood the test of times, will ultimately emerge stronger.
"Kerala has decided to address the apprehensions about NRC that preparations of NPR (National Population Register) will lead to NRC by staying all activities relating to NPR in the state," he said in the letter.
Vijayan's appeal to his counterparts comes a day after Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said the resolution passed by the state assembly against CAA has absolutely no Constitutional or legal validity.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had criticised the Left government for passing the resolution and said Vijayan should seek "better legal advice."
Vijayan sent identical letter to chief ministers Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), Hemant Soren (Jharkhand), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Y S Jaganmohan Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), Kamal Nath (Madhya Pradesh), Amarinder Singh (Punjab), Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan) Naveen Patnaik (Odisha) and V Narayanasamy (Puducherry).
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Pak police registers case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on LeT co-founder
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Lahore (PTI): Pakistan's Punjab Police on Friday registered a case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder Amir Hamza, who suffered bullet injuries in the attack in Lahore.
On Thursday, two unidentified gunmen riding on a bike opened fire on the vehicle of the private TV channel 24NewsHD TV, owned by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, on Peco Road in Lahore near the TV channel's office.
In the attack, Hamza suffered bullet injuries.
"The FIR has been registered against unidentified gunmen, but it is sealed forthwith," a senior police officer told PTI.
He said the intelligence agencies have taken over this case from the police, and they are currently investigating the matter.
The channel's religious programme host Justice (retd.) Nazir Ahmed Ghazi and Hamza were in the vehicle when it was attacked. Hamza was shifted to a hospital for treatment.
Punjab police on Friday said that "upon receiving information about the incident, the SSP Operations immediately reached the scene and a high alert was imposed in the area. SSP Operations Tauqeer Naeem also met the affected individuals. Thankfully, all present in the vehicle remained safe during the firing."
It further said senior police officers of the Township and Chung, along with a heavy police contingent, were present at the scene.
"Police collected evidence from the site and initiated an investigation. Efforts to arrest the suspects are underway using CCTV footage and geo-fencing techniques. Search and sweep operations are being conducted at various locations, with scrutiny of suspicious individuals ongoing," police said.
It added that those involved in the incident will be traced and arrested soon.
The police sources said that Hamza has been shifted to his residence in Jauhar Town, Lahore, where police and agency personnel met him.
The leadership of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political front of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's banned Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), including Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed, also called on him.
TV host retired Justice Ghazi, who remained unhurt in the attack, remained a legal counsel for Hafiz Saeed, they said.
The PMML has strongly condemned the attack on Hamza and demanded that those involved in the incident be arrested immediately.
Hamza is regarded as LeT's second most important leader after its chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 after getting convicted for several years in terror financing cases.
Hamza has been designated as a terrorist by the US. In the past, he served as the head of LeT's "special campaigns" department.
In 2018, Hamza formed a fundraising group for the LeT following a ban on the JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation by the Pakistani government.
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