Our Bureau
New Delhi/Washington
India’s Ministry of External Affairs Spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was an “internal matter” and the US State Department’s statement was “misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted”. Earlier the US government and the UN had expressed concerns about the implementation of CAA with the UN calling the legislation “fundamentally discriminatory in nature.” “We are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on Mar. 11,” said Matthew Miller, the US State Department Spokesperson, conveying the nation’s concerns during a routine press briefing, highlighting the significance of religious freedom and equitable treatment under the law for all societal factions.
Mr Jaiswal said the law was “in keeping with India’s inclusive traditions and our longstanding commitment to human rights” and “grants a safe haven to persecuted minorities”. He said, “The CAA is about giving citizenship, not about taking away citizenship. It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity and supports human rights.”
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament of India on 11 December 2019. It amended the Citizenship Act, 1955 by providing an accelerated pathway to Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who arrived in India by 2014.
The Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 on Monday, reducing the qualification period of application for citizenship from 11 to 5 years for eligible migrants who came to India before December 31, 2014
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Friday defended the United States’ stance on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and said “can’t give up on principles” amid an exchange between the two countries over India’s implementation of the act. He was speaking at the India Today Conclave. Garcetti said the principle of religious freedom and equality was a cornerstone of democracy.
