The Goa legislative assembly on Monday adopted a resolution congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah for having passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) after a walkout by Opposition claiming that the government was using its “brute” majority to pass the resolution. In the 40-member assembly, the ruling BJP has 27 MLAs, besides two Independent legislators who support the government. NCP’s Churchil Alemao, who supports the government, was absent.
The Opposition had moved a motion before Speaker Rajesh Patnekar to hold a ‘long discussion’ on the CAA, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens but the Speaker allowed a congratulatory motion.
“How can you allow the congratulatory motion when we have already sought a 2.5 hour discussion on the CAA, NPR and NRC? This is illegal… As much as this law is unconstitutional, what you are doing is also unconstitutional,” Goa Forward Party’s Vijai Sardesai said. Amid the din, the Speaker adjourned the House. When the House resumed, LoP Digambar Kamat led the Opposition walkout.
“The CAA paves way for safeguarding the rights of the oppressed, religious minorities…who have sought refuge in India,” BJP leader Atanasio Monserrate said, while tabling the motion. Goa CM Pramod Sawant said, “We want to differentiate between who is a refugee and who is an illegal immigrant…”. However, he sidestepped the NRC issue saying there was ‘no talk of NRC…so, no need to discuss it”.
