New Delhi: Taking strong objections to resolutions being moved in the European Parliament against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla conveyed to the head of the European Union’s (EU) legislative body Monday that it was inappropriate for one legislature to pass judgements on another and the practice could be misused by vested interests.
With the European Parliament set to debate resolutions against the citizenship law, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu also asserted that there was no scope for outside interference in India’s internal matters and the country was capable of addressing its concerns on its own.
The ruling BJP and the Congress also weighed in on the resolutions before the European Parliament, with the former questioning the objectivity of the members of the EU Parliament and the latter accusing the saffron party of internationalising the citizenship issue.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said France, a founding member of the EU, considered the new citizenship law an internal political matter of India.
The assertions came after close to 600 lawmakers in the 751-member EU Parliament moved six resolutions against the CAA, saying the enactment of the law marked a dangerous shift in India’s citizenship regime.
Birla wrote to European Parliament President David Maria Sassoli over the resolutions Monday.
“I understand that Joint Motion for Resolution has been introduced in the European Parliament on the Indian Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. This act provides for easier citizenship to those who have been subjected to religious persecution in our immediate neighbourhood,” Birla said in the letter.
“It was not aimed at taking away anyone’s citizenship and the legislation was passed after due deliberation by both Houses of the Indian Parliament. As members of Inter Parliamentary Union, we should respect sovereign processes of fellow legislatures, especially in democracies,” added the Lok Sabha speaker.
It was inappropriate for one legislature to pass judgements on another, a practice that could surely be misused by vested interests, Birla said. “I would urge you to consider the proposed resolution in this light, confident that none of us wants to set an unhealthy precedent,” Birla pointed out.
Earlier, addressing a gathering at a book launch event here, Naidu said he was concerned at the trend of foreign bodies interfering in matters that were ‘completely within the purview of the Indian Parliament and government’.
Such efforts were totally uncalled for and unwarranted, the vice- president said, expressing hope that they would refrain from making such statements in future. “There is no scope for outside interference in India’s internal matters,” asserted Naidu.
“Our polity and democracy do provide enough space for expressing differences and dissents whenever warranted. As a result, India has emerged as the most vibrant democracy in the world,” Naidu stated.
PTI