WEB DESK
Office of United Nation Human Rights Commissioner (OHCHR) has filed intervention plea in Supreme Court of India on Citizenship Amendment Act, CAA.
The law, which was passed by parliament in December, has been criticised as discriminating against Muslims and violating secular tenets of the Constitution.
Govt says it hopes SC will vindicate its stand.. CAA is internal matter, constitutionally valid.
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 in a sharply-worded statement today, after it emerged that the UN Human Rights Council had taken the unprecedented step of approaching the Supreme Court over this issue.
“The Citizenship Amendment Act is an internal matter and concerns the sovereign right of the Indian parliament to make laws. We strongly believe no foreign party has any locus standi on issues pertaining to India’s sovereignty,” the ministry has said.
The MEA response went on to assert that the CAA, which the government says will help non-Muslim refugees fleeing religious persecution, was “constitutionally valid”, was consistent with “our constitutional values” and upheld human rights 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.
The opposition has alleged that the CAA, used in conjunction with the NRC (national register of citizens) and NPR (national population register), can be used to target Muslims.