US urges India to protest minority rights

WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON: The US State Department has urged India to “protect the rights of its religious minorities in keeping with India’s Constitution and democratic values”

“We are closely following developments regarding the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law are fundamental principles of our two democracies,” a State Department spokesperson said on Thursday.

In the aftermath of the Rajya Sabha passing the Citizenship Amendment Bill and the President giving it his assent, the U.S. urged India to protect the rights of its religious minorities.

According to rights campaigners, the law is discriminatory against Muslim minority.

The protests have swept across the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh against the controversial law.