French justice minister Christiane Taubira quits

Paris: French justice minister Christiane Taubira quit on Wednesday in protest over the government’s efforts to strip convicted French-born terrorists of their citizenship if they have a second nationality.

Taubira, popular among the ruling Socialists of President Francois Hollande but a target of criticism from right-wing politicians, tweeted: “Sometimes to resist means staying, sometimes resisting means leaving.”

The outspoken 63-year-old, who is from French Guiana, became France’s most senior black politician when she was named to the justice ministry post in 2012.

Jean-Jacques Urvoas, the president of the parliamentary committee in charge of reviewing legislation, was named as her successor.

Taubira has often been at the centre of controversy, whether as the victim of racial slurs or for pushing through a same-sex marriage bill despite fierce opposition from conservatives.

Her latest battle brought her into conflict with President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls over their proposals to strip dual-national convicted terrorists of their French passports.

Hollande called for the measure to be written into the constitution in the aftermath of the November jihadist attacks in Paris which left 130 people dead.

It is part of a string of reforms meant to boost security as hundreds of French citizens - many of them dual nationals - take up arms alongside the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, and in the case of the Paris attackers, return to wreak devastation in France.