India's External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, broke his silence on Saturday about the raging controversy triggered by remarks made by newly appointed US Ambassador Eric Garcetti about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
"Absolutely.. I will not only bring it up.. It would not just be an obligation.. It will be a core part of what I do," Garcetti said in December 2021 after he was asked whether he would raise the matter of the CAA with Narendra Modi's government.
Garcetti added that he would also take up the issue of "human rights violations" in the south Asian nation with the relevant authorities in India.
Against this backdrop, Jaishankar was asked what he thought about Garcetti's stance over the CCA, to which he replied: "Let him come here. Pyaar se samjha denge (I will explain with love)."
Garcetti, a former mayor of Los Angeles and a close aide of US President Joe Biden, was named as Washington's new envoy to India earlier this week.
What is the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)?
Passed in 2019, the CAA offers Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim minorities from neighboring Islamic nations such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
What is the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)?
Passed in 2019, the CAA offers Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim minorities from neighboring Islamic nations such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
Critics of the domestic legislation, fully backed by Prime Minister Modi, claim that the legislation is the first step towards stripping Indian citizenship of Muslims.
After the CAA came into force, widespread protests, mostly led by worshippers erupted across the country and even led to clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Delhi, which resulted in the death of more than 50 people.
Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly tried to soothe the widespread anger against the CAA, saying that the legislation does not seek to remove any minority member living in India.