ISLAMABAD – India’s controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) hasreceived strong criticism by members of European Parliament Brussels withserious concerns expressed over its discriminatory nature.
The Members of European Parliament (MEPs) representing various party groupstook part in a debate on the resolution, the voting for which was deferredtill March at a session held on Thursday due to the case currently pendingwith Supreme Court of India.
Spanish MEP Idoia Villanueva from Ruiz of Group of European United Left-Nordic Green, said the recently-passed laws in India, namely the CAA 2019and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the revocation of Articles 370and 35A, conflicted with democratic values and violated international law.
She said Modi government’s repression of Kashmir was tantamount to fascismand should be condemned.
Michael Gahler, MEP from Germany representing European Peoples Party Groupin the European Parliament, said as the issue led to violence, the EUneeded to have a closer look on what’s happening in India.
British MEP John Howarth, representing Group of Progressive Alliance ofSocialists and Democrats strongly criticised India for initiating CAA forbeing highly discriminatory piece of legislation targeting a specificreligious group, particularly Muslims.
“A strong message needs to be sent to the Indian government, whether it isKashmir or rights of citizens, that without respect for human rights,India’s relations with the EU would be under serious threat.”
MEP Scott Ainslie of Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance termed CAAhaving an Islamophobic agenda which could deny 200 million Muslims, nearlyhalf the population of the EU towards statelessness, incarceration anddeportation.
He said it was shameful that in the state of Assam, 1.9 million citizensalready suffered this nationalistic move of Modi.
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He urged the EU to stay principled and fight against human rightsviolations and injustices and take concrete actions as just words are notenough.
Fabio Massimo Castaldo MEP, from Italy representing non-attached Membersgroup condemned the decision of India, urging it to repeal thediscriminatory law.
He pointed out that if the aim of registration was to protect persecutedcommunities, then why it did not include other minorities like Rohingyas inMyanmar, Biharis in Bangladesh etc.
Phil Bennion, MEP representing Renew Europe Group said the CAA wasseriously flawed, discriminatory on religious grounds and contrary to theprinciple of secularism.
He said that Indian government must ensure that its security forcesexercised restraint in dealing with the protestors and should be heldaccountable for their excessive use of force.
Shafaq Mohammad, a Liberal Democrat MEP from the United Kingdom, who wasamong the authors of the resolution said, “Had thought that this house hadlearned its lessons from (Holocaust) history and prepared to act to stopany such thing again, but the postponement vote indicates, still there arepeople who have yet to learn”.
He stressed that CAA must be judged on the basis of international law andmust be repealed if it contradicts it.
