New Delhi, 15 March

India on Friday strongly trashed the criticism against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), including by the United States, and said "vote-bank politics" should not determine views about a "laudable initiative" to help those in distress.

Lectures by those who have a limited understanding of India's pluralistic traditions and the region's post-partition history are best not attempted, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. His strong comments at a media briefing came when asked about the criticism against the CAA from Washington and various other parts of the globe.

"The CAA is about giving citizenship, not about taking away citizenship. It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity and supports human rights," Jaiswal said, asserting that the law is an internal matter of India.

"As regards the US State Department's statement on the implementation of the CAA, we are of the view that it is misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted," the MEA spokesperson said at his weekly media briefing.

The CAA, 2019 is in keeping with India's inclusive traditions and long-standing commitment to human rights, he added. "The Act grants a safe haven to persecuted minorities belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who entered India on or before 31 December, 2014," Jaiswal said. "Partners and well-wishers of India should welcome the intent with which this step has been taken," he added.