UN refuses to comment on India's Citizenship Bill

The United Nations on Tuesday (local time) refused to comment on the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha, stating that the only concern of the watchdog is to ensure that all governments peruse non-discriminatory laws.

When asked about the UN's response to the passage of the bill, Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "As far as I am aware, this legislation will go through a legislative process. We do not have a comment while the domestic legislative process is being carried out."

"At the same time, our concerns are only of being sure that all governments peruse non-discriminatory laws," Haq added in his weekly briefing.

The historic legislation passed with a majority of 311 votes against 80 votes on Monday, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

Through this Bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.

Next, the bill will be tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday where the NDA will require the support of at least 123 MPs in the 245-member house.