(Image source from: timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

Concerns over the situation that is currently prevailing in India regarding the religious freedom has been raised by the United States. The issue has been raised by the United States with the Indian officials regarding the religious freedom, as said by a senior State Department official.

The senior State Department official has said that he had met the officials in India regarding the issue of religious freedom and has expressed his concern over the same.

The concerns of the United State officials are being made based on the protests that are being held regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act that had been recently passed and amended in India.

The senior State Department official has said that he had met the Foreign Minister of India and also the Indian Ambassador in order to express his concern.

According to the Citizenship Amendment Act that has been passed in India, the citizenship of India will be provided to all the non- Muslim communities i.e., Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Buddists from the three neighboring countries being Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh who have been facing religious persecution there and who have come to India on or before 31st of December in the year 2014.

Several protests have been held across the nation and several other countries regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act with few protesters extending their support to the Citizenship Amendment Act where as the others against the act saying that it violates the Constitution which addressed India being a secular country.

The government of India has been emphasizing that the Citizenship Amendment Act that has been passed will not deny any citizenship rights but instead protects the minorities of the three neighboring countries namely Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have been oppressed experiencing religious persecution and provide them with the citizenship of India.

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has defended the Citizenship Amendment Act and has said that the law is about giving the citizenship of India but not taking away the citizenship. He has added saying that any person belonging to any religion and from any country in the world who believes in the country India and the Constitution of India can apply for obtaining the citizenship of India through the due process.

By Shrithika Kushangi