March 31, 2024
2 mins read

Garcetti Addresses US Concerns over CAA

Earlier this month, after the US’ remarks on CAA, the Ministry of External Affairs strongly objected to it and termed the comments “misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted.”…reports Asian Lite News

Stating that religious freedom is an important part of any democracy, the US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, said that sometimes New Delhi and Washington can “agree to disagree” on certain things and it should not be read negatively.

The US State Department had earlier said that it is “concerned” over the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in India, adding that it is “closely monitoring” the implementation of the act.

Speaking to ANI, Garcetti said, “It’s something that we monitor, and I said that. And I said in broad strokes that religious freedom is an important part of any democracy. Protecting minorities is very important. That doesn’t have to be read negatively.”

“And I think it’s the job of monitoring what happens. That’s the job of an ambassador. That’s the job of a state department. The Ministry of External Affairs’ job and the Indian ambassador’s job is to monitor and to report. And we simply said that,” he added.

He further acknowledged that the US too has a “ton of flaws” and is open to criticism, while emphasising the importance of finding common international law and respecting every country’s specific history.

“We have a deep friendship. It’s very respectful. Sometimes we can agree to disagree on things and continue with our business, and we shouldn’t take it with thin skin. We shouldn’t take it personally. Certainly, I open up the United States, I say all the time, from a place of humility. We have a tonne of flaws. We’re open to criticism. We want to listen,” Garcetti said.

He added, “But I think the most important thing for all of us is to find common international law that we can all be a part of, try to implement equally, and respect the specific histories that every country has. And the more that you know about that, the better positioned you are when you are monitoring things to be able to comment.”

Earlier this month, after the US’ remarks on CAA, the Ministry of External Affairs strongly objected to it and termed the comments “misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted.”

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a weekly press briefing, said that those having a “limited understanding of India’s pluralistic traditions” should not comment on India’s ‘internal matters’.

The Union Home Ministry notified rules for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on March 11, days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule.

The CAA rules, introduced by the Narendra Modi government and passed by Parliament in 2019, aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants–including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians–who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 enable persons eligible under CAA-2019 to apply for the grant of Indian citizenship and applications are to be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided by the government. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Russia’s Call: Unite Against Terrorism, India Included

Previous Story

Russia’s Call: Unite Against Terrorism, India Included

Next Story

Sing, Sip, and Snap: A Night of Karaoke and Creative Fun

Latest from -Top News

Taliban’s Grave Warning for Pakistan

It came less than 24 hours after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reportedly issued a stern warning to Afghan Taliban…reports Asian Lite News As relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to deteriorate,

US deports 2,790 Indians in 2025

The MEA on Thursday confirmed that over 2,790 Indians were deported from the US this year after authorities verified their identity and nationality….reports Asian Lite News The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on

India–Cyprus talks on future plan

EAM Jaishankar expressed appreciation for Cyprus’ support for India on cross-border terrorism….reports Asian Lite News External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos met in New Delhi on Thursday

Rajnath Singh off for ASEAN meet

Singh is expected to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from the participating ADMM-Plus nations ..reports Asian Lite News Defence Minister Rajnath Singh departed for Kuala Lumpur on Thursday to attend the 12th
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Biden keeps refugee admissions target at 125,000

The largest number of slots — 40,000 — was set

‘Willing to use force to defend Taiwan’

While Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with