New Delhi, March 15: In a strong rebuttal to the US State Department’s concerns over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), India has articulated its stance, underscoring the Act’s alignment with the nation’s humanitarian values and constitutional commitments.
The Ministry of External Affairs, through its spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, dismissed the critiques as “misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted.”
“The CAA is fundamentally about bestowing citizenship, not revoking it. It seeks to address statelessness and augment human dignity and rights,” Jaiswal emphasized.
He further highlighted that the Indian constitution ensures religious freedom for all citizens, dismissing concerns over the treatment of minorities. “India’s rich tradition of pluralism and its complex post-Partition history are perhaps not fully appreciated. It is ill-advised to critique initiatives aimed at aiding those in distress without a comprehensive understanding of these contexts,” Jaiswal remarked.
The Ministry’s press release elaborated on the CAA, describing it as a measure strictly within India’s jurisdiction, reflective of the country’s inclusive ethos and commitment to human rights.
The Act facilitates citizenship for persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries, recognizing the plight of individuals from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities facing persecution in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
This response from the Indian government comes in the wake of expressed apprehensions by both the US government regarding the CAA’s focus on religion.
The US State Department, through spokesperson Mathew Miller, expressed concerns over its implementation and its potential implications for religious freedom.
Reuters in its story reported that The U.S. has signalled reservations. “We are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship Amendment Act on March 11. We are closely monitoring how this act will be implemented,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said separately.
“The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, and its rules aim to provide a sanctuary for persecuted minorities who sought refuge in India before December 31, 2014.
This step, rooted in compassion, should be welcomed by the international community,” the press release concluded, asserting India’s sovereignty in addressing humanitarian issues within its borders.