New Delhi Hits Out At Washington Terming Comments On CAA Law 'Misplaced, Misinformed And Unwarranted'

New Delhi on Friday termed the recent comments from Washington on Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 as 'misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted".

Rejecting concerns raised by US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Millers on Thursday on CAA implementation, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson stated, "As you are well aware, the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 is an internal matter of India and is in keeping with India's inclusive traditions and long standing commitment to human rights. The act grants a safe haven to persecuted minorities belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian and Parsi communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who have entered India on or before 31st December 2014."

He further said, "CAA is about giving citizenship, not about taking away citizenship, so this must be underlined. It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity, and supports human rights. As regards the US State Department's statement on the implementation of CAA, and there have been comments made by several others, we are of the view that it is misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted. India's constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all its citizens."