Federal US Commission Calls For Sanctions Against Union Home Minister Amit Shah If CAB Is Passed By Both Houses
[ By Bobby Anthony ]A federal United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has sought American sanctions against Union Home Minister Amit Shah if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is passed by both houses of the Indian Parliament.The USCIRF has stated that it is deeply troubled by the successful passage of the Bill in Lok Sabha, adding that is it is a “dangerous turn...
A federal United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has sought American sanctions against Union Home Minister Amit Shah if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is passed by both houses of the Indian Parliament.
The USCIRF has stated that it is deeply troubled by the successful passage of the Bill in Lok Sabha, adding that is it is a “dangerous turn in the wrong direction”. The Bill will be placed before the Rajya Sabha soon.
The USCIRF has alleged that the CAB enshrines a pathway to citizenship for immigrants, which specifically excludes Muslims, setting a legal criterion for citizenship based on religion.
According to the USCIRF, the CAB “is a dangerous turn in the wrong direction which runs counter to India's rich history of secular pluralism and the Indian Constitution”, which guarantees equality before the law regardless of faith.
The USCIRF has stated that it fears the Indian government is creating a religious test for Indian citizenship that would strip citizenship from millions of Muslims, in in conjunction with the ongoing National Register of Citizens (NRC) process in Assam and nationwide NRC that home minister Amit Shah seeks to propose.
It also said that for more than a decade now the Indian government has ignored the statements and annual reports of the USCIRF.
Though USCIRF recommendations are not enforceable, its recommendations are seriously taken into consideration by the US government, in particular the US State Department, which is tasked with powers to invoke sanctions against foreign entities and individuals for violation of religious freedom and human rights.
Incidentally, even the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had consistently stated that it does not recognize a third country's views or reports about its internal affairs.
Accordingly, India has denied visas to USCIRF personnel to visit India for more than a decade now to enable them carry out on the ground assessment of religious freedom in India.