By Saiyed Moziz Imam Zaidi

New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS): In a major development, which indicates growing clout of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the party, he has been assigned to coordinate with the Congress and alliance Chief Ministers to block the new citizensip law (CAA) and the National Population Register (NPR).

Gehlot will also play a key role and steer the anti-CAA resolutions by Assemblies. The Congress has communicated to its Chief Ministers and alliance partners to adopt a resolution against the CAA.

Punjab could become the first Congress-ruled state to pass an anti-CAA resolution in the Assembly.

Gehlot has been asked to meet all the Chief Ministers for this as well as to oppose the NPR.

According to sources, the resolutions will be moved as a private member bills as the government can't move such a resolution.

Till now, only Kerala has passed such a resolution. West Bengal has said it was against the CAA.

The opposition meet, convened by the Congress here on Monday, urged all the Chief Ministers to stop the NPR process.

"The CAA, the NPR and the NRC are part of a package and unconstitutional. They target the poor, downtrodden, SCs/STs and linguistic & religious minorities. The NPR will form the NRC's basis. We demand withdrawal of the CAA and immediate stoppage of the nationwide NRC/NPR. The Chief Ministers who have announced that they will not implement the NRC in their states, must consider suspension of the NPR enumeration as it's the prelude to the NRC," it said in a resolution.

Earlier the Congress Working Committee, said the Narandra Modi government had unleashed the brute state power to suppress, subjugate and stifle the voice of youth and students across the country.

"A concerted attack on the Constitution, rampant unemployment, commercialisation of education, unprecedented fee hikes and autocratic refusal to listen to the voice and concerns of youth/students have led to spontaneous protests across campuses," it said.