Washington DC: Senator Ben Cardin, chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee voiced his concerns over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
"I am deeply concerned by the Indian government's decision to notify its controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, particularly the law's potential ramifications on India's Muslim community. Making matters worse is the fact that it is being pushed during the holy month of Ramadan," stated Senator Ben Cardin
He added that as the relationship between the US and India strengthens, it is important for the cooperation to be founded on shared values that prioritize guarding the human rights of all individuals, irrespective of their religion.
The US State Department stated last week that respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are essential democratic principles while expressing concern over the CAA's notification.
India called out that the US State Department's criticism of the CAA was "misinformed and unwarranted".
The Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) and the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation supported the CAA issuing separate statements on its behalf.
"The CAA does not impact any citizen of India. The characterisation of this law as being non-secular is unfounded. Hindu minority is discriminated against and decimated in India’s neighbourhood. As Americans, we are disappointed that instead of standing for American values and the human rights of the persecuted, our government has chosen to oppose this humanitarian effort," said Ajay Shah, founder and co-convenor of HinduPACT.
The law provides minority groups from India's neighbouring countries—Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi—who are persecuted with expedited citizenship, they said. They also added that the law is in line with universal humanitarian values and emphasised India's commitment to protecting people and families from religious persecution.
Deepti Mahajan, co-convenor of HinduPACT, expressed shock at the lack of empathy for the plight of young girls from Pakistan's Hindu, Sikh, and Christian minority communities.
[With inputs from PTI]