Key provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India may violate certain provisions of the country’s Constitution, according to a report issued by an independent research wing of the US Congress. The CAA, which amends India’s 1955 Citizenship Act, was implemented in March this year. The report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) states that the Act’s provisions, which allow immigrants of six religions from three countries a path to citizenship while excluding Muslims, may violate certain Articles of the Indian Constitution. Critics argue that this discriminates against Muslims and poses a threat to the country’s secular values and human rights obligations. The report also highlights concerns about the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), which, when combined with the CAA, could potentially threaten the rights of India’s large Muslim minority. The CRS report mentions that some members of the US Congress have expressed concerns about human rights violations and violations of international religious freedom in India, with resolutions calling for the swift end to the persecution of religious minorities and human rights defenders in the country. The Indian government, however, has defended the CAA, stating that its aim is purely humanitarian and that it provides citizenship to people displaced from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan on religious grounds. The Ministry of External Affairs emphasizes that the CAA addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity, and supports human rights. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has also voiced support for the CAA, asserting that no one can stop its implementation. The contentious nature of the CAA and its potential violation of India’s Constitution continues to be a subject of debate and controversy.