Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 16 (IANS): The Kerala political canvas is seeing a rare instance when top leaders of the ruling CPM-led Left and the rival Congress-led UDF jointly protested against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led the Left, while the opposition and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala led the UDF when the protest started at the Martyrs Column here on Monday.

Vijayan has reiterated his stand that the CAA will not be implemented in the state.

"The sound that has come from Kerala is we will not allow the secularism stand of ours to be diluted in any way. All this is the work of the RSS to convert India into a religion-based country. At no cost would this be allowed to take place and in Kerala, we just cannot accept it and under no circumstances would it be allowed to be implemented here," said Vijayan.

Chennithala said that this is not what the country needs and the basic tenets of the Constitution have been questioned through the CAA.

"The media has been silenced as it's now owned by corporates, whose only agenda is pro-government. The stage is such that today it's Amit Shah who decides who is going to be an Indian citizen. Our Constitution is one of the best in the world and every institution in the country is a by-product of it and today, one by one these institutions are being destroyed," said Chennithala.

The new citizenship law cleared by the two Houses of Parliament, and signed by the President, is now known as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.