India-US Disagreement on Citizenship Law: MEA Calls US Comments Unwarranted

Those who have limited understanding of India’s pluralistic traditions should not attempt to lecture, MEA said after the US expressed concerns over CAA.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 is India’s internal matter and the statement of the United States on its implementation is misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. New Delhi asserted its strong position after the US expressed concerns over the notification of the Act. “We are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on March 11. We are closely monitoring how this act will be implemented,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. “Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles,” the State Department spokesperson said.

Reacting to the concerns of the US, New Delhi made it clear that it does not care about “lectures by those who have a limited understanding of India’s pluralistic traditions…”.

“The act grants a safe haven to persecuted minorities belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who have entered India on or before 31st December 2014. The CAA is about giving citizenship, not about taking away citizenship, so this must be underlined. It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity, and supports human rights,” the MEA spokesperson said.

India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all its citizens and there is no ground for any concern for minorities, the MEA said. “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 wellwishers of India should welcome the intent with which this step has been taken,” the spokesperson said.

Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 was notified by the Centre on March 11 triggering a major political row with the chief ministers of the non-BJP-ruled states vowing to take action against the act. In this act, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain and Parsis who fled religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014, will get citizenship faster.