'Misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted': India dismisses US' 'concerned' remark on CAA

Hours after the US expressed “concern” over the notification of the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) in India, Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that the CAA is India’s “internal matter” and dismissed the US statement on the issue as “misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted”.

Addressing the media on Friday, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said,"…As regards the US State Department’s statement on the implementation of CAA, and there have been comments made by several others, we are of the view that it is misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted. India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all its citizens. There are no grounds for any concern or treatment of minorities."

Jaiswal said that the vote bank politics should not determine views about a laudable initiative to help those in distress and called on the well-wishers of India to welcome the the step.

“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,” added Jaiswal.

Reiterating government’s stand on the CAA, Jaiswal underlined the fact that CAA is about giving citizenship and not about taking away citizenship.

“As you are well aware, the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 is an internal matter of India and is in keeping with India’s inclusive traditions and a long-standing commitment to human rights. 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,” added the MEA spokesperson.

The Indian government implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 on Monday, paving the way for the grant of citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

Reacting to the development, the Opposition parties and leaders described the Act discriminatory in nature, with three states - Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal - going to the extent of saying that they won’t implement the legislation.

Pakistan too waded in saying India’s new Citizenship (Amendment) Act is “discriminatory in nature”, claiming that it differentiated between people based on their faith and the US said it is “concerned” about the CAA notification in India and is “closely monitoring” its implementation.

Addressing a daily briefing on Thursday, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “We are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 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.”

With inputs from agencies