USCIRF Statement on Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 ‘Inaccurate and Unwarranted’: MEA

New Delhi, December 10: India on Tuesday said that the statement by USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) after the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Lok Sabha was "inaccurate and unwarranted". The USCIRF said that Citizenship bill is a "dangerous turn in the wrong direction" and saught US sanctions against Union Home Minister Amit Shah if the bill is passed by both the Houses of Parliament. Federal US Commission Seeks Sanctions Against Home Minister Amit Shah if Citizenship Amendment Bill Passed in Parliament.

"The position articulated by USCIRF is not surprising given its past record. It is, however, 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..." said the government statement shared by Ministry of External Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. 'Citizenship Amendment Bill Not Even .001% Against Minorities': Amit Shah Rebuts Opposition's Anti-Muslim Charge in Lok Sabha.

MEA Statement:

"The statement made by the USCIRF on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is neither accurate nor warranted. The bill provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities already in India from certain contiguous countries," the statement read.

"Neither the CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill) nor the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process seeks to strip citizenship from any Indian citizen of any faith. 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," it added.

Earlier, USCIRF had described the bill as "dangerous turn in the wrong direction" and sought action against Amit Shah and other leaders if the billed is passed by both houses of Parliament.

"The CAB is a dangerous turn in the wrong direction; it runs counter to India's rich history of secular pluralism and the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law regardless of faith," the USCIRF said.

The amended Citizenship bill seeks to grant Indian Citizenship to members of Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan and faced religious persecution there. They will be granted citizenship if they had migrated before December 31, 2014.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 10, 2019 02:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).