UN Refuses To Comment On India’s Citizenship Amendment Bill

The international watchdog stated that its only concern is to ensure that all governments peruse non-discriminatory laws.

(Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

New Delhi: The United Nations has refused to comment on the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the lower house of the Indian Parliament. It stated that its only concern is to ensure that all governments peruse non-discriminatory laws. Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, "As far as I am aware, this legislation will go through a legislative process. We do not have a comment while the domestic legislative process is being carried out." When asked about the UN's response to the passage of the bill, "At the same time, our concerns are only of being sure that all governments peruse non-discriminatory laws," Haq added in his weekly briefing. On Wednesday the Bill which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there, will be tabled in Rajya Sabha at 2 pm , where the NDA will require the support of at least 123 MPs in the 245-member house. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha a little past midnight on Monday after a heated debate that lasted over seven hours, with a majority of 311 votes.