New Delhi: The Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, is an internal matter and no foreign party has any standing on issues pertaining to India’s sovereignty, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday, after it emerged that he UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) filed an intervention plea with the Supreme Court.
The plea asks the court to make the UNHRC a party in the case against the CAA that is being heard by the top court.
“The Citizenship Amendment Act is an internal matter of India and concerns the sovereign right of the Indian Parliament to make laws. We strongly believe that no foreign party has any locus standi on issues pertaining to India’s sovereignty,” the ministry said in response.
“We are clear that the CAA is constitutionally valid and complies with all requirements of our constitutional values. It is reflective of our long standing national commitment in respect of human rights issues arising from the tragedy of the Partition of India,” the ministry said.
“India is a democratic country governed by the rule of law. We all have utmost respect for and full trust in our independent judiciary. We are confident that our sound and legally sustainable position would be vindicated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” the ministry added.
The citizenship law, which makes religion a criterion for Indian citizenship, says non-Muslim minorities from Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan can become citizens if they fled religious persecution and entered India before December 31, 2014.
Critics believe the CAA, along with the NRC or citizen’s list, will be used to target Muslims.
