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WASHINGTON: Federal US commission on international religious freedom has sought American sanctions against Indian Home Minister Amit Shah and other Indian leadership.
The lower house of the Indian legislature passed controversial legislation early Tuesday that will grant citizenship to religious minorities from neighbouring countries.
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But not Muslims, amid raucous scenes in parliament and protests in the northeast of the country.
Reacting to the passage of the controversial bill, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a statement.
Stating that the US was deeply troubled by the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), originally introduced by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah.
After approval from the lower house of the Indian parliament, the bill will have to be approved by the upper house of the Indian legislature before it can be adopted as a law.
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According to USCIRF, the US would consider sanctions against principle Indian leadership if that happens.
In a statement made separately on Monday, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee also condemned the passage of the contentious bill through the Indian lower house.
Saying that the a religious test for citizenship undermined basic democratic tenets shared by the US and India.
The bill provides that Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians fleeing persecution in Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan can be granted citizenship.
It comfortably passed the lower house with 311 votes in favour and 80 against.
In the statement released on Tuesday, USCIRF said that the bill specifically excluded Muslims, setting a legal criterion for citizenship based on religion.
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“The CAB is a dangerous turn in the wrong direction; it runs counter to India’s rich history of secular pluralism,” it said.
The US commission on religious freedom also condemned the bill as a violation of the Indian constitution.
Relating it to the recent National Register of Citizens (NRC) process in Assam and nationwide NRC that is widely believed to be the brain-child of the Indian home minister.
“USCIRF fears that the Indian government is creating a religious test for Indian citizenship that would strip citizenship from millions of Muslims,” the USCIRF warned.
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