NEW DELHI: India on Friday dismissed the US State Department’s concerns over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), whose rules have just been notified.
On Thursday, State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said the US is closely monitoring its implementation. “We are concerned about the notification of the CAA on March 11. We are closely monitoring how this Act will be implemented. Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles,” he said.
India’s foreign office bristled at the “misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted” US concern, adding CAA is an internal matter. “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,’’ said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs.
India notified the CAA on Monday paving the way for grant of citizenship to undocumented Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhist, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who came into the country before December 31, 2014.
“The CAA is about giving citizenship, not about taking citizenship. It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity and supports human rights,’’ Jaiswal added.
India has reiterated that the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all its citizens. Vote bank politics should not determine views about a laudable initiative to help those in distress, he added.