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CAA an internal matter, EU move to not affect ties: MEA
Six political groups in the 751-member European Parliament had tabled a resolution that criticised the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) as well as the Indian government’s handling of protests against the law
India on Thursday said it will continue to engage with the European Parliament and its members on the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) after a vote on a resolution critical of the law was put off till March.
Six political groups in the 751-member European Parliament had tabled a resolution that criticised the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) as well as the Indian government’s handling of protests against the law. While Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) went ahead with a debate on this issue on Thursday, a vote on the resolution is expected during a session in March.
“We have noted the decision of the European Parliament not to put the CAA resolution to vote [on Thursday],” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a regular news briefing.
“As I have mentioned earlier, the CAA is an internal matter of India. It has been adopted through due process and democratic means... However, we will continue to engage with the MEPs, the European Parliament and other European Union stakeholders in this matter.”
Responding to a question on accusations by MEPs that the CAA violated international laws, Kumar said: “As far we are concerned, I don’t think we are violating any of the international laws and covenants which are in place.”
Kumar also noted the European Commission’s clarification that opinions expressed by the European Parliament and its members didn’t represent the official position of the bloc.
The European Parliament’s decision to put off the vote on the resolution is being seen as part of efforts to ensure Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the India-EU Summit in Brussels on March 13. It was also the outcome of extensive lobbying in Brussels by Indian diplomats, who reached out to MEPs from the six political groups to explain New Delhi’s position on the CAA.
The MEPs also noted that the postponement of the voting would allow them to interact with external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who is expected to visit Brussels in mid-February both for a fresh round of engagements with key players on the CAA and other issues and to prepare the grounds for the India-EU Summit.
The groups of MEPs also noted that India’s Supreme Court was set to take up challenges to the CAA and they wanted to wait for the outcome of the legal process.
Kumar said India and the EU were in talks to finalise arrangements for the summit in Brussels. This will be the 15th India-EU Summit and the last one was held in November 2017.
