WASHINGTON: The
US govt
and the
United Nations
on Tuesday expressed concerns about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, with the UN calling the legislation "fundamentally discriminatory in nature."
"As we said in 2019, we are concerned that
CAA
is fundamentally discriminatory in nature and in breach of India's
international human rights obligations
," a spokesperson of the Office of the
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
told Reuters. He added the office was studying whether the law's implementation rules comply with international human rights law.
The US has also signalled reservations. "We are concerned about the notification of CAA on March 11. We are closely monitoring how this act will be implemented," a state department spokesperson told Reuters separately. "Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles," the spokesperson added.
The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the state department and the UN human rights office reactions.
The
Indian government
denies the law is anti-Muslim and says it was needed to help minorities facing persecution in neighboring Muslim-majority nations. It has called the earlier protests politically motivated. Reuters
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