Ahead of EU debate on CAA, India seeks dialogue

India’s internal matter, says Naidu; rules likely to seek religion proof

Six resolutions in European House

• Renew Group: 108 Members of European Parliament (MEPs)

• ECR (European Conservatives and Reformists): 66 MEPs

• GUE/NGL (Left/Nordic Green Left): 41 MEPs

• EPP (Christian Democrats): 182 MEPs

• S&D (Socialists & Democrats): 154 MEPs

• Greens/EFA (European Free Alliance): 74 MEPs

Draft rules may seek…

• Documents to prove that applicants under the CAA belonged to the six religions (Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain or Parsi) eligible under the law

• Proof that they entered India before December 31, 2014

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 27

India has reacted strongly to the introduction of six resolutions in European Parliament criticising New Delhi’s policy on Kashmir and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

“As fellow democracies, EU Parliament should not take actions that call into question the rights and authority of democratically elected legislatures in other regions of the world,” said government sources.

“The CAA is a matter that is entirely internal to India. Moreover, this legislation has been adopted by due process and through democratic means after a public debate in both Houses of Parliament,” they added while pointing out that the CAA is not discriminatory.

“Every society that fashions a pathway to naturalisation, contemplates both a context and criteria. This is not discrimination. In fact, European societies have followed the same approach,” they added.

With member countries as well as the EU washing their hands off the resolutions, New Delhi made a direct appeal to the sponsors and supporters of the draft to engage with the government to get a full and accurate assessment of the facts before they proceed further.

“European Parliament is an independent institution, sovereign in the organisation of its work and in its deliberations. The text referred to are draft resolution by political groups in the European Parliament,” sources in the EU said.

The resolutions will be discussed from late Wednesday and voting is expected the next day. If passed, European Commission chiefs will be asked to raise these issues with the Indian Government.

Meanwhile, even as the Centre works to finalising CAA rules, sources in the government indicated that the non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan applying for Indian citizenship under the new law would have to produce documentary “proof of religion”.

The draft rules for the CAA, 2019, are also likely to seek documents from applicants that they entered India before December 31, 2014, and that they belonged to the six religions (Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain or Parsi) eligible under the law.

The Union Government is also likely to give a relatively smaller window of just three months to those who want to apply for the Indian citizenship in Assam under the CAA, another official said, adding that some Assam-specific provisions were expected to be incorporated in the rules to be issued for the implementation of the amended Act.

Taking exception to comments by foreign bodies on lawmaking in India, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today said, “Some efforts are being made outside India to comment on some laws made by Parliament and to raise some issues based on inadequate knowledge and insufficient understanding of the issues sought to be addressed by our lawmakers. Such efforts are totally uncalled for and unwarranted.”

Naidu was speaking at the release of “TRG-An Enigma”, a book on the life of educationist TR Gupta.