MHA: States have no powers to refuse CAA

New Delhi: State governments have no powers to reject the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 as the legislation was enacted under the Union List of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution, a top official said on Friday.

The statement came after chief ministers of West Bengal, Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh announced that the law is "unconstitutional" and has no place in their respective states.

"The states have no powers to deny implementation of a Central law which is in the Union List," the top official from the Union Home Ministry said. There are 97 items which are under the Union List of the 7th Schedule that include defence, external affairs, railways, citizenship and naturalisation, among others.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, "In your (BJP) manifesto, instead of development issues, you have put in promise to divide the country. Why will citizenship be on the basis of religion? I will not accept this. We dare you ... ." "You can pass laws in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha forcefully because you have the number. But we will not let you divide the country," she said.