Will continue to remain engaged with European Parliament members: MEA

India on Thursday said it has noted the European Parliament's decision to not put to vote a resolution against the new citizenship law, asserting that the legislation was enacted following the due process.

External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India has also noted the European Commission's clarification that the EU Parliament's views don't reflect the official position of the grouping.

"As I have mentioned earlier, CAA is an internal matter of India. It has been adopted through due process and democratic means," Kumar said, adding India will continue to engage with the European Parliament and other stakeholders on the issue.

The European Parliament delayed a vote on Thursday on a resolution against the new citizenship law, a move seen as an attempt to not jeopardise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Brussels in March for a bilateral summit with the 28-member bloc.

The European Parliament on Wednesday decided to take up the voting against the Citizenship Amendment Act during its new session beginning March 2.

"We have noted the decision of the EU parliament not to put the CAA resolution to vote on Thursday," Kumar said.

India reached out to almost all countries of the powerful bloc, trying to persuade them against going ahead with the resolution against the CAA.

Sources said the European lawmakers agreed to delay the voting to get a direct perspective from on the CAA from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who is scheduled to visit Brussels to prepare the ground for Modi's visit in mid-March.

The EU lawmakers also wanted to wait for judicial review of the contentious law by India's Supreme Court.

Diplomatic sources said the vote on the resolution against the CAA may take place between March 30 and 31, but a debate on it will go on as scheduled later on Wednesday.

Six political groups of members of the European Parliament had moved a joint resolution against India's citizenship law, calling it discriminatory. PTI MPB ASK MPB TIR

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