Opposition misleading public to disrupt law and order over CAA: Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami

A day after he justified Police's action against the anti-CAA protestors who had gathered without permission, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has challenged the opposition to specify if any minorities have been affected by the Citizenship Amendment Act. The chief minister added that the opposition parties were misleading people over the CAA, disrupting a peaceful state and causing law and order problems.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly was debating the 2020-21 budget that was presented by Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Friday. Heated exchanges were witnessed in the assembly over the CAA, the passing of which in Rajya Sabha was enabled due to the support of AIADMK and PMK MPs. 

The opposition parties in the state have been rallying support against the act, with the DMK-led opposition having collected over 2 crore signatures calling for the act to be repealed. The signature petitions are addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind and are meant to be sent to the national capital by DMK MPs. The anti-CAA signature drive was launched across the state on February 2 with a target to get one crore signatures.

While speaking on the budget, DMK legislator T Mano Thangaraj highlighted the need for passing an anti-CAA resolution in the House. The chief minister responded, “Who is affected by the CAA? Tell us and we will find a solution. Is there anyone from a minority community who was born in Tamil Nadu and has been living here and has been affected by the CAA? We are not enacting a drama here and misleading the people here like you (referring to DMK).”

The DMK MLA shot back saying that various other states had moved resolutions against the CAA owing to the protests, the minorities being affected by the law. Palaniswami countered by saying that the opposition was spreading falsehoods to deteriorate the law and order situation in an otherwise peaceful state. Palaniswami clarified that the state had no powers to prevent the implementation of CAA as the citizenship law is solely the Central government’s prerogative. Subsequently, the DMK MLAs walked out of the Assembly.