"Assembly resolution on CAA an exercise which does not serve any purpose": Governor

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Friday continued to question the legal sanctity of the Kerala Assembly resolution, seeking scrapping of Citizenship (Amendment) Act and termed it as "an exercise which does not serve any purpose".

"If the Kerala Assembly passes a resolution that America should invade Afghanistan, then they are only wasting time", he told reporters here,taking a dig at the non-BJP parties for adopting a resolution which "goes against the Constitution".

He said the Citizenship issue is purely dealt with in the Union list and the state legislature has no role in it.

To queries related to the attack on him by  major political parties in Kerala for openly defending the law, the Governor hit back, urging them to read the Constitution.

Khan said he has a "sacred duty to defend" the legislation as he was the representative of the President, who had given his assent to the law enacted by Parliament.

Khan said the parties have every right to put forth a demand to the Central government, but it should have been made outside the Assembly.

The Governor reiterated that the Citizenship issue is a non-issue for the state of Kerala.

"Is there any complaint that any foreigners are in Kerala?" he asked.

"This is an exercise which does not serve any purpose. It is only a wastage of money of people of Kerala", he said.

Khan had on Thursday said the resolution passed by the state assembly, demanding scrapping of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has no constitutional or legal validity.

"Citizenship comes exclusively in the domain of the Central government. The state government has no role. So why are these people engaged in something which is a non-issue for Kerala?," he had asked.

Pointing out that the southern state had not been affected by partition, the Governor said there are no illegal immigrants in Kerala.