CAA Set To Create Largest Statelessness Crisis: European Union, India Calls It Internal Matter

Around 150 European Union lawmakers have drafted a five-page resolution against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act. The resolution asserts that the CAA "marks a dangerous shift in the way citizenship will be determined in India and is set to create the largest statelessness crisis in the world and cause immense human suffering."

The resolution was tabled by the European United Left/ Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) Group in the Parliament. It will be taken up for discussion next week and will be put to the vote the day after.

The lawmakers accused the Indian government of "discriminating, harassing, and prosecuting national and religious minorities and silencing opposition, human rights groups... and journalists critical of the government."

The draft under the "Relations with Asian countries" section advises the Indian authorities to "engage constructively" with the anti-CAA protesters and consider their demand of withdrawing the Citizenship law. It not only expresses "deep concern" about CAA creating legal grounds to deprive millions of Muslims of their fundamental right of equal access to citizenship, reported NDTV.

"CAA could be used, along with the National Register of Citizens, to render many Muslim citizens stateless," the resolution added.

The resolution also"condemns the unilateral changes made to the status of Kashmir by India; asks both sides to implement the recommendations of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) report on Kashmir".

As of now, more than 19 people have died in the anti-CAA protests in various parts of the country. The new citizenship law expedites the process for granting citizenship to members of non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Responding to the resolution, the Indian government has said that it is an entirely internal matter to India and the law was adopted through democratic means after a debate in both the houses. "We hope the sponsors and supporters of the draft will engage with us to get a full and accurate assessment of the facts before they proceed further," official sources said reacting to the MEPs stand.

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