The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): The Indian government has firmly rejected the concerns raised by the United States over the implementation of a controversial citizenship law, terming the U.S. comments as “misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted”.
The law, known as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), provides a fast-track for citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians who have fled to India from neighboring countries. The move has sparked sporadic protests in India, with critics, including Muslim groups and opposition parties, claiming that the law is discriminatory and undermines the country’s secular constitution.
In a statement, the U.S. State Department said it was “concerned” about the notification of the law, citing “respect for religious freedom and equal treatment” as a fundamental democratic principle. However, Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for India’s Foreign Ministry, dismissed the U.S. concerns, stating that they are “misplaced, miinformed, and unwarranted.”
Jaiswal further added that “Lectures by those who have a limited understanding of India’s pluralistic traditions and the region’s post-partition history are best not attempted.” The reference was to the colonial-era division of the subcontinent at the time of independence from Britain in 1947.
The Indian government has defended the CAA, stating that it will benefit the victims of years of persecution in India’s neighboring countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is seeking a rare third term in the upcoming general elections, scheduled by May.
The U.S. comments come after the United Nations also expressed concern over the implementation of the CAA, highlighting the growing international scrutiny of India’s policies regarding religious minorities.