'Misplaced, misinformed & unwarranted': India on US concerns over Citizenship Amendment Act
| 2024-03-15
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. (File)
CAA is about giving Citizenship, not taking it away, says MEA
India has rejected the United States' comment that it will closely monitor the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) describing a US State Department statement in this regard as misplaced, misinformed & unwarranted.
"The CAA is about giving citizenship, not about taking away citizenship. It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity and supports human rights," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to questions at the weekly media briefing on Friday (March 15, 2024).
"The Citizenship Amendment Act is an internal matter, and is in keeping with India's inclusive traditions and long-standing commitment to human rights. The CAA grants safe haven to persecuted minorities belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, who have entered India on or before December 31 2014," Jaiswal said.
"As regards the US State Department's statement on the implementation of the CAA, we are of the view that it is misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted," the MEA Spokesperson stated.
According to Jaiswal, India's constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all its citizens and there are no grounds for any concern or treatment of minorities.
"Vote bank politics should not determine views about a laudable initiative to help those in distress. 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," he asserted.
Earlier today, when asked if the CAA could affect religious freedom in India, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "We are concerned... we are closely monitoring this law, how it will be implemented. Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles," he added.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 was implemented by the Union Government after it notified the rules Monday (March 11, 2024). The amendment reduces the qualification period of application for citizenship for eligible migrants who came to India before December 31, 2014 from 11 to 5 years.
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