DMK vows to resist CAA implementation as Governor R N Ravi refuses to read address

Chennai: Tamil Nadu on Monday announced that it will never permit the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the state and vowed to protect the rights of minorities and Sri Lankan Tamil brethren, close on the heels of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion that the legislation will come into effect before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The DMK administration made the declaration in the Governor’s address to the House, which R N Ravi refused to read, stating his factual and moral disagreement with several passages. The address was read before the House by Speaker M Appavu.

Quoting Tamil poet Kanian Poongundranar's famous words "yaadhum oore, yaavarum kelir" (all towns are one and all are our people), the address said that the idea of unity in diversity is facing a grave threat in our nation and that the government remains steadfast in its commitment to protect and preserve communal harmony in the state.

“We stand with minorities and our Sri Lankan Tamil brethren, as we pledge to protect their rights. This Government will never permit the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in our state and vows to take all necessary measures in this regard,” the address said.

The assertion comes two weeks after Chief Minister M K Stalin described the CAA as being discriminatory against Muslims and Sri Lankan Tamils. Despite being in the opposition at the time, the DMK conducted large-scale protests against the Act in Tamil Nadu and mobilised two crore signatures against it, which were subsequently sent to the President of India, Stalin had said.

“As soon as we came to power in 2021, we passed a resolution in the assembly demanding the withdrawal of CAA. The DMK government will never allow the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in Tamil Nadu,” Stalin said.