'Its neither accurate nor warranted', MEA shoots down bilge remark by USCIRF against the CAB

New Delhi, December 10: Rubbing off the erronous claims made by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom as against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, the Indian MEA has said that the statement made by the USCIRF is neither accurate nor warranted.

 

 

Explaining the credibility of the bill and backing its support to the proposed amendments, the MEA said, "The Bill provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities already in India from certain contiguous countries".

"It seeks to address their current difficulties and meet their basic human rights. Such an initiative should be welcomes, nor criticized by those who are genuinely committed to religious freedom", it added.

 

The USCIRF had yesterday raised serious concerns against the bill. "The CAB enshrines a pathway to citizenship for immigrants that specifically excludes Muslims, setting a legal criterion for citizenship based on religion", it had said in the statement calling the bill 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. In conjunction with the ongoing NRC process in Assam and nationwide NRC that the Home Minister seeks to propose, USCIRF fears that the Indian government is creating a religious test for Indian citizenship that would strip citizenship from millions of Muslims", the commission noted.

 

Countering each claim, the MEA today cleared that the bill does not affect the existing avenues available to all communities interested in seeking citizenship from doing so. Neither the CAB nor the NRC process seeks to strip citizenship from any Indian citizen of any faith.

 

"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 and no locus standi", the MEA signed off.

With 293 in favour, the Citizenship Amendment Bill was roped in for discussion in the Lok Sabha on Monday morning. As some parts of the nation created furore on the bill, Union Minister Amit Shah rightfully stated that there was no political agenda behind the Amendment and there was no question of injustice with anyone.

 

His remark came amid the protest by the oppositions which labelled the legislation as regressive. As the historic debate looked into various aspects of the bill, the Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill with 311 ‘Ayes’ and 80 'Noes'.