United Nations monitoring outcome of India's citizenship law
The implications of India's Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 are being closely watched by the United Nations, a spokesperson has said. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Thursday, "We're aware that the Lower and Upper Houses of the Indian Parliament have passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and we're also aware of the concerns that have been publicly expressed. The United Nations is closely analysing the possible consequences of the law."
Haq also said that some of "human rights mechanisms, including our rapporteurs, have already been expressing their concerns about the nature of this law".
Passage of the Citizenship Bill has led to widespread violent protests in the Northeast region of the country.
The Bill, which has now become a law after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent on Thursday night, seeks to give refuge to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the Muslim community was not persecuted in those three countries, and the Bill specifically seeks to provide citizenship to six religious persecuted minorities.
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