Tag Archives: india reaction

‘Misplaced, Misinformed, Unwarranted’: India Rebuffs US Remarks on CAA Implementation

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India has rejected the US State Department’s “concerns” regarding the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and termed it as “misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted.”

In a press briefing, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, emphasized that the CAA primarily aims at granting citizenship rather than revoking it. Jaiswal dismissed critiques from those with limited comprehension of India’s diverse traditions and the historical context following partition.

Addressing concerns raised by the US State Department and others, Jaiswal reiterated that India views the criticism as unfounded. He urged international partners to acknowledge the goodwill underlying the enactment of the CAA, framing it as consistent with India’s inclusive ethos and enduring commitment to human rights.

The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 provides refuge to persecuted minorities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

Jaiswal contended that there are no justifiable grounds for apprehension or mistreatment of minorities, cautioning against allowing political considerations to influence perceptions of a commendable initiative aiding distressed individuals.

India’s assertive response followed comments from US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller expressing concern over the notification of CAA rules and signaling close scrutiny of its implementation.

The Central government implemented the CAA on Monday, offering a pathway to citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from neighboring countries who entered India before December 31, 2014.

Critics argue that the law undermines the secular principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution by excluding Muslims from its provisions.

‘Secret Nuclear city’ is Pakistan’s Imagination: India

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India has refuted Pakistan’s allegations about a secret nuclear city with weapons calling it an imagination of Islamabad, which is a “diversionary tactic” to cover its own failure to stop state-sponsored terrorism that has come under global radar now.

Reacting to Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria’s reamrks on Thursday saying, “India is building a secret nuclear city,” and it has potential to threaten the strategic balance of power in the region.

On Friday, Indian external affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “These are completely baseless allegations. The so-called secret city appears to be a figment of the Pakistan imagination. India has always been in compliance with all its international obligations.”

He said it was a very strange statement coming from a country that does not have a separation plan for nucelar weapons and has a strong record of nuclear “proliferation which is well known to the world.”

On the contrary, India has very different credentials. He said these remarks are clearly “a diversionary tactic by Pakistan which aims to deflect attention from the real issue at hand – the continued state-sponsored terrorism by Pakistan and its harbouring of internationally designated terrorists.”

Earlier, zakaria in a press conference alleged saying, “It (India) has been building Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and an Anti-Ballistic Missile System. It has a stockpile of fissile material for producing nuclear weapons outside the IAEA safeguards… It is also building a secret nuclear city in south India which, according to Foreign Policy investigative report, is to produce thermonuclear weapons.”

However, he did not name the city nor give any details. To another question, Zakaria said the Donald Trump administration’s travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries, would not be extended to Pakistan and that the White House had assured Islamabad about it. He responded positvely on questions about Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz’s visit to Washington soon.