Chandigarh: The ruling Congress moved a resolution in the state Assembly here on Friday demanding that the Central government scrap the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. State Minister Brahm Mohindra moved the resolution against the CAA on the second day of the two-day special session.

"The CAA enacted by Parliament has caused countrywide anguish and social unrest with widespread protests all over the country. The State of Punjab also witnessed protests against this legislation, which were peaceful and involved all segments of our society," Mohindra said while reading out the resolution.

After Kerala, Punjab is the second state to pass a resolution against the CAA. The resolution said the amended law on citizenship seeks to negate the very secular fabric on which the Constitution of India is based.

"It is divisive and stands for everything opposed to a free and fair democracy, which must enshrine equality for all. Alongside the religion-based discrimination in granting citizenship, it is apprehended that the CAA is also likely to endanger the linguistic and cultural identity of some sections of our people. CAA also envisages cancellation of the registration of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders, if they violate any law," the resolution said.

It further said the CAA is aimed at distinguishing between illegal migrants on the basis of religion, which is not permissible under the Constitution that guarantees the right to equality and equal protection of the laws to all persons.

CAA provides for granting citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who had migrated to India before December 31, 2014 but not to members of the Muslim community. The ideology behind the CAA is "inherently discriminatory and as far away as it can be from being a humanitarian measure," the resolution alleged.

"In the backdrop of these facts, it is evident that the CAA violates the secular identity of India, which is basic feature of our Constitution; therefore, the House resolves to urge the Government of India to repeal the CAA to avoid any discrimination on the basis of religion in granting citizenship and to ensure equality before law for all religious groups in India.

"Given the apprehensions about National Register of Citizens and that the National Population Register is a prelude to the NRC designed to deprive a section of persons from citizenship of India and implement CAA, this House further resolves that Central government should amend the forms/documentation associated with the NPR to allay such apprehension in the minds of the people and only thereafter undertake work of enumeration under NPR," the resolution said.

 

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New Delhi: The Indian men's team beat Nepal 54-36 in the final to win the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup title here on Sunday.

The Indian men's team title came after the women's side were also crowned the champions after defeating Nepal in the final.

The Men in Blue dominated the final against Nepal with captain Pratik Waikar and tournament standout Ramji Kashyap leading from the front.

Attacking first, an exceptional sky dive by Ramji Kashyap got Nepal's Suraj Pujara. Suyash Gargate then touched Bharat Sahu to give India a great start with 10 points in just four minutes.

Sky dives were the name of the game for the Men in Blue, and this ensured a bright start for the side in Turn 1, preventing the Dream Run for their opponents. At the end of the turn, the scoreline was 26-0 in favour of the Indians.

In Turn 2, Nepal were not able to match India's levels but did prevent the home side from going on a single Dream Run.

Aditya Ganpule and skipper Pratik Waikar carried the team through this turn, and despite regular touches from the likes of Janak Chand and Suraj Pujara, India carried a 26-18 lead into the second half of the clash.

India were in their stride in Turn 3, displaying unwavering confidence throughout. Captain Pratik Waikar shone on the mat with multiple sky dives, and with the support of Ramji Kashyap, another star of the tournament.

Aditya Ganpule was also at his finest, and the home team's collective effort took the score to 54-18 entering the final turn of the match -- and the tournament.

Nepal fought hard in Turn 4 in their bid to come back against India. But the defenders, once again led by Pratik Waikar and Sachin Bhargo proved too strong. Mehul and Suman Barman were equally impressive.

India showcased their dominance throughout the tournament, beginning with convincing victories over Brazil, Peru and Bhutan in the group stages. Their momentum continued through the knockout rounds, where they outclassed Bangladesh in the quarterfinals before overcoming a strong South African side in the semifinals.