New Delhi (NVI): India today slammed the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for its statement on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, saying it is “neither accurate nor warranted”.
Reacting to the USCIRF statement issued on the bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha late last night, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said it was
“regrettable that the body has chosen to be guided only by its prejudices and biases on a matter on which it clearly has little knowledge and no locus standi.”
He said the bill provides “expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities already in India from certain contiguous countries” and seeks to “address their current difficulties and meet their basic human rights.”
Such an initiative, Kumar said, “should be welcomed, not criticized by those who are genuinely committed to religious freedom.”
The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha after a heated debate that spanned several hours. It is now set for introduction in the Rajya Sabha.
“The statement made by the USCIRF on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is neither accurate nor warranted,” the MEA spokesperson said.
He said the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill “does not affect the existing avenues available to all communities interested in seeking citizenship from doing so. The recent record of granting such citizenship would bear out the Government of India’s objectivity in that regard.”
Asserting that neither the CAB nor the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process seeks to strip citizenship from any Indian citizen of any faith, Kumar said, “Suggestions to that effect are motivated and unjustified. Every nation, including the United States, has the right to enumerate and validate its citizenry, and to exercise this prerogative through various policies.”
At the same time, the spokesperson said, “The position articulated by USCIRF is not surprising given its past record.”
