'It is an Internal Matter': India Delivers Sharp Rebuttal to US' Reaction on CAA

New Delhi – The Ministry of External Affairs gave a sharp rebuttal to the United States which raised concerns over the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019. During a regular press briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that the implementation of CAA is an internal matter and described the White House's statement on it as “misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted”. The comments from the ministry came hours after the United States expressed “concerns” over the notification of the Act and maintained that they are closely monitoring the situation. 

“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,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a press briefing on Friday. “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. 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,” he added. 

Jaiswal maintained that there is no ground for the United States to be concerned over the matter and insisted that India's partners and well-wishers should welcome the intent. “There are no grounds for any concern or treatment of minorities. Vote bank politics should not determine views about a laudable initiative to help those in distress. 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 wellwishers of India should welcome the intent with which this step has been taken,” he added. 

What did the US Say on the matter? 

The United States on Thursday maintained that it is concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in India and is closely monitoring its implementation. “We are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on March 11,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily briefing on Thursday. “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 added. 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. From the very beginning, the Indian government has maintained that the CAA is about granting citizenship and that no citizen of the country will lose citizenship.

With inputs from PTI.