The Ministry of External Affairs pushed back against the US State Department’s comments on the Citizenship Amendment Act, calling the American statement “misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted.”
“We are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on March 11,” said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller at a press briefing in Washington DC on 14 March.
“We are closely monitoring how this act will be implemented. Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles,” Miller went on to say.
These statements came after the Indian government released rules for the implementation of the CAA, which grants an accelerated pathway to citizenship to minority groups from three countries who have entered India on or before 31 December 2014.
While the Indian government has stated its aim as providing relief for persecuted minorities from countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the act has attracted criticism from some quarters for being discriminatory as Muslims are not allowed to claim this pathway to citizenship.
“The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) is an internal matter of India and is in keeping with India’s inclusive traditions and our long-standing commitment to human rights,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a press briefing.
“As regards the US State Department’s statement on the implementation of CAA, we are of the view that it is misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted,” Jaiswal added.
He added that “vote bank politics” should not determine views of the CAA, which was passed in 2019.
“Lectures by those who have a limited understanding of India’s pluralistic traditions and the region’s post partition history are best not attempted. Partners and well-wishers of India should welcome the intent with which this step has been taken,” Jaiswal went on to say.
The passage of the CAA in 2019 and the subsequent domestic tensions in India created some diplomatic challenges for India. Legislators in European Parliament and the United States as well as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights raised concerns about what they termed were discriminatory elements of the CAA legislation.
Then Pakistan premier Imran Khan was critical of the legislation while Iran and Indonesia raised concerns about violence in India that broke out after the CAA legislation was passed.
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Published: 15 Mar 2024, 08:36 PM IST