Hitting out at the US and others for expressing concern over the notification of CAA Rules, the Indian government on Friday said there are no grounds for any concern on treatment of minorities and that vote-bank politics should not determine views about a laudable initiative to help those in distress. It urged the US to welcome the intent behind the initiative.
Dismissing the US State Department’s comments on implementation of the Act as ‘misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted,’ the government said lectures by those who have a limited understanding of India’s pluralistic traditions and the region’s post-Partition history are best not attempted.
‘There are no grounds for any concern on treatment of minorities… partners and well-wishers of India should welcome the intent with which this step has been taken,’ said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
The government described the CAA as an internal matter of India and in keeping with the country’s inclusive traditions and long-standing commitment to human rights. ‘The Act grants a safe haven to persecuted minorities belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh who have entered India on or before 31st Dec 2014,’ said the official.
The CAA is about giving citizenship, not about taking away citizenship. It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity, and supports human rights,’ he added.
A State Department spokesperson had said on Thursday that the US is concerned about the notification of CAA and is 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 had said. Pakistan had also come up with a reaction describing the Act as ‘discriminatory’ in nature.
Commenting on the CAA’s implementation during her weekly briefing, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had said, ‘Evidently, the legislation and relevant rules are discriminatory in nature as they differentiate among people on the basis of their faith.’ A Taliban leader too had said CAA should not discriminate against Muslims.
