NEW DELHI: India on Friday hit out at criticism from overseas after it notified the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, stating that it was the country’s “internal matter” and is in keeping with its inclusive traditions and long-standing commitment to human rights.
The MEA dismissed the US State Department’s statement on the issue as “misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted”. Its spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal pointed out that the Indian Constitution guaranteed freedom of religion to all its citizens.
Besides expressing concern, the US State Department had said it was closely monitoring how this act would be implemented. “Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles,” it had said.
However, Jaiswal dismissed the reservations, saying that there were no grounds for any concern on the 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 said.
Jaiswal also maintained that the CAA granted a safe haven to persecuted minorities belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who had entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
There has been criticism of the CAA from several quarters, ranging from the US, West-based human rights bodies and the Taliban in Afghanistan.