India rejects US’ CAA remarks, says it’s an internal matter

The Indian government has strongly rejected “misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted” remarks by the US State Department on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and underlined that it’s an internal affair of the country.

“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 Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of India’s external affairs ministry in New Delhi on March 15. Setting the record straight, the spokesperson said: “The Act grants a 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 31st Dec 2014.”

Earlier in the day, the US State Department’s spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed “concerns” about notification of the CAA, saying that the US is keeping a “close eye” on the matter. The contentious legislation has been targeted by critics and opposition parties in India for its discriminatory approach towards Muslims of the country. Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly clarified and assured that said the law is meant to help minorities in the neighbouring countries facing religious persecution.

India asserted that the law is about giving citizenship and not taking it away, allaying all apprehensions about minority rights. “It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity and supports human rights,” said Jaiswal. “India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all its citizens. There are no grounds for any concern on treatment of minorities,” he added.

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