Entirely internal: India expresses reservation as EU lawmakers move Anti-CAA resolutions

New Delhi, Jan 26: India, facing backlash from the European Union (EU) parliament on the Citizenship Amendment Act on Sunday said that the law is widely referred to, is a matter that's "entirely internal to India" and has been adopted through" due process and democratic means" after a public debate in both houses of parliament.

"Every society that fashions a pathway to naturalisation contemplates both context and criteria. This is not discrimination. In fact, European societies have followed the same approach," reports said, hoping that those backing the draft would engage with the government to get a "full and accurate" assessment of the facts before proceeding any further.

The European Parliament is set to debate and vote on a resolution tabled by some of its members against the CAA which it says marks a "dangerous shift" in the country's citizenship regime.

The resolution, tabled by the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) Group in Parliament earlier this week, is set to be debated next Wednesday and voted on the day after.

The new law, passed by Parliament last month, offers citizenship to non-Muslim persecuted religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

India has been witnessing massive protests against the new law with opposition parties, civil rights groups and activists saying granting citizenship based on religion is against the foundational principle of the Constitution.