CAA: UN Sec Gen censures India, shows concern for Indian Muslims

New Delhi, 20 Feb 2020 [Fik/News Sources]: The Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres has sought to provoke India by criticising the Citizenship (Amendment) Act which seeks to provide citizenship to minorities who have suffered religious persecution in three neighbouring countries.

During his four-day visit to Pakistan which concludes on Wednesday, Antonio Guterres expressed concern for India’s Muslims, saying there was a “risk of statelessness for two million Muslims excluded by the divisive Citizenship (Amendment) Act passed by the Indian Parliament”.

Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper quoted Guterres as saying that the alleged growing discrimination against the minorities in India had personally concerned him.

He is further quoted to have said, “All the reports, including two by the UN High Commissioner, in the international media, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and recent fact-finding reports on Kashmir released in New Delhi, regarding torture, sexual abuse and incarceration of children as young as seven by the Indian military”, played a key role in “clarifying exactly what is happening” in Kashmir and “it is essential that these reports are taken seriously”.

Guterres’ comments came a week ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to New Delhi. During his four-day trip to Islamabad he applauded Pakistan for its peace efforts and expressed concern for the Muslims in India.

The UN chief in an interview to Pakistani newspaper Dawn commented on India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which fast-tracks citizenship of persecuted religious minorities of its three neighbouring Islamic theocracies.

SOURCE: WITH INPUTS FROM IANS