'Misplaced, Misinformed And Unwarranted': India Rejects US' Remarks On CAA Implementation

CAA Implementation: New Delhi on Friday said the concerns recently raised by Washington in regards with the newly notified Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 in India were "misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted".

On Thursday (local time), US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "We are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on March 11."

He had said further, "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."

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Responding to the statement, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, "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."

#WATCH | On CAA, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "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… pic.twitter.com/cJBiDvI7JU

— ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2024

Jaiswal reiterated that the CAA is meant to cut down the waiting period for naturalisation from the existing 12 years to six years for the grant of Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants - including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians - who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

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The MEA official added, "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."

(With inputs from agencies)