Citizenship Amendment Act: UNHCR goes to India's Supreme Court over new citizenship law | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Epaper
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Saturday
June 21, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Epaper
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2025
UNHCR goes to India's Supreme Court over new citizenship law

South Asia

TBS Report
03 March, 2020, 05:05 pm
Last modified: 03 March, 2020, 08:28 pm

Related News

  • India hands over body of Bangladeshi man found hanging from a tree inside its border
  • Illegal border-crossing: 14 Bangladeshis return home after serving detention in India
  • India illegally deporting Muslim citizens at gunpoint to Bangladesh reports The Guardian
  • Trump hosts Pakistani army chief, discusses Israel-Iran conflict
  • How the world's top ad agencies aligned to fix prices in India

UNHCR goes to India's Supreme Court over new citizenship law

The unprecedented move signals growing international pressure on India over the controversial law

TBS Report
03 March, 2020, 05:05 pm
Last modified: 03 March, 2020, 08:28 pm
UNHCR goes to India's Supreme Court over new citizenship law

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) Michelle Bachelet has approached the Indian Supreme Court over "the exclusions of persons... on the basis of their religion" from the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

In her intervention plea, the High Commissioner asked  to be made party in a case against the law that is being heard by the top court, reports NDTV.

 

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

New Indian citizenship law fundamentally discriminatory: UN

 Bachelet said the "differentiations" drawn by the law are not "sufficiently objective and reasonable".

The Indian External Affairs Ministry hit back with a sharply-worded statement.

It declared the citizenship law as an "internal matter" and saying "no foreign party had any locus standi on issues pertaining to India's sovereignty".

"The Citizenship Amendment Act is an internal matter and concerns the sovereign right of the Indian parliament to make laws. We strongly believe no foreign party has any locus standi on issues pertaining to India's sovereignty," the ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry's response also said the citizenship law is "constitutionally valid" and upholds human rights values. Indian government says the law will help non-Muslim refugees fleeing religious persecution from Muslim-dominated neighbouring countries.

"It is reflective of our long-standing national commitment in respect of human rights issues arising from the tragedy of the Partition of India," the ministry statement added.

The government's claim that the law will help non-Muslim refugees because Islam is the state religion in the countries listed - Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, has been disputed by the petition.

"Recent reports... ascertain there exist a number of religious groups considered religious minorities in these countries, especially of the Muslim faith, including Ahmadi, Hazara and Shia Muslims whose situations would warrant protection on the same basis as that provided in the preferential treatment proposed by the CAA," the petition stated.

The Supreme Court is currently hearing a massive 143 petitions challenging the legal validity of the new citizenship law. In a January hearing the court declined to put the law on hold and, instead, gave the central government four weeks to respond.

Indian parliament passed the law in December and has been fiercely criticised by the opposition and activists as being anti-Muslim and violating secular tenets of the Indian constitution.

It is also feared that the law, used with the NRC (national register of citizens) and NPR (national population register) can be used to further target Muslims.

Sustained nationwide protests, some of which have been led by students and women, have broken out since it was passed, with lakhs taking to the streets. A peaceful and weeks-long protest in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh has emerged as the epicentre of these protests.

Protests against the law have drawn the attention of students in foreign countries and celebrities like Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, who this week called the CAA "fascist".

Last week, horrific violence took place in Delhi when a group attacked the protesters.  48 people were killed and hundreds were injured in the violence.

Shortly after it was passed the United Nations expressed concern over a law that it said was "fundamentally discriminatory in nature".

A spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it would "have a discriminatory effect on people's access to nationality".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leaders have repeatedly defended the bill, claiming it will help refugees. They say the opposition is spreading rumours and misinformation about the law for political gain.

In several non-BJP ruled states, such as Bengal, Kerala and Punjab, the law has been opposed. These states have passed resolutions against the law and, in the case of the first two, Bengal and Kerala have stopped working on NPR and NRC.

World+Biz / Top News

India / Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Dhaka Medical College students demonstrate over five demands in front of the institution's main gate in Dhaka on 21 June 2025. Photo: Courtesy
    Dhaka Medical College closed indefinitely amid protests over accommodation, students ordered to vacate halls
  • A missile launched from Iran is intercepted as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, June 21, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
    Israel attacks Isfahan nuclear facility, says it killed Quds Palestinian Corps commander as Iran fires more missiles
  • Prof Anu Muhammad. Sketch: TBS
    Anu Muhammad questions CA Yunus’s role in Ctg Port’s container terminal lease push

MOST VIEWED

  • Collage of the two Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) students -- Swagata Das Partha (left) and Shanto Tara Adnan (right) -- who have been arrested over raping a classmate after rendering her unconscious and filming nude videos. Photos: Collected
    2 SUST students held for allegedly rendering female classmate unconscious, raping her, filming nude videos
  • BUET Professor Md Ehsan stands beside his newly designed autorickshaw—just 3.2 metres long and 1.5 metres wide—built for two passengers to ensure greater stability and prevent tipping. With a safety-focused top speed of 30 km/h, the vehicle can be produced at an estimated cost of Tk1.5 lakh. Photo: Junayet Rashel
    Buet’s smart fix for Dhaka's autorickshaws
  • File photo of containers at Chattogram port/TBS
    3-month interim extension sought for Saif Powertec to operate Ctg port terminal
  • Photo: Collected
    All BTS members officially complete military service as Suga gets discharged
  • 6 govt officials, including 5 secretaries, sent on forced retirement
    6 govt officials, including 5 secretaries, sent on forced retirement
  • Study finds alarming mercury levels in popular skin creams sold in Bangladesh
    Study finds alarming mercury levels in popular skin creams sold in Bangladesh

Related News

  • India hands over body of Bangladeshi man found hanging from a tree inside its border
  • Illegal border-crossing: 14 Bangladeshis return home after serving detention in India
  • India illegally deporting Muslim citizens at gunpoint to Bangladesh reports The Guardian
  • Trump hosts Pakistani army chief, discusses Israel-Iran conflict
  • How the world's top ad agencies aligned to fix prices in India

Features

Airmen look at a GBU-57, or Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, US in 2023. Photo: Collected

Is the US preparing for direct military action in Iran?

5h | Panorama
Monsoon in Bandarban’s hilly hiking trails means endless adventure — something hundreds of Bangladeshi hikers eagerly await each year. But the risks are sometimes not worth the reward. Photo: Collected

Tragedy on the trail: The deadly cost of unregulated adventure tourism in Bangladesh’s hills

20h | Panorama
BUET Professor Md Ehsan stands beside his newly designed autorickshaw—just 3.2 metres long and 1.5 metres wide—built for two passengers to ensure greater stability and prevent tipping. With a safety-focused top speed of 30 km/h, the vehicle can be produced at an estimated cost of Tk1.5 lakh. Photo: Junayet Rashel

Buet’s smart fix for Dhaka's autorickshaws

1d | Features
Evacuation of Bangladeshis: Where do they go next from conflict-ridden Iran?

Evacuation of Bangladeshis: Where do they go next from conflict-ridden Iran?

2d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Netanyahu using Iran war to stay in power 'forever':  Clinton

Netanyahu using Iran war to stay in power 'forever': Clinton

1h | TBS Stories
No matter how independent EC is, elections impossible without govt cooperation: CEC

No matter how independent EC is, elections impossible without govt cooperation: CEC

53m | TBS Today
Chaos has reduced after Dr. Yunus' meeting with Tarique Rahman: Dr. Zahid

Chaos has reduced after Dr. Yunus' meeting with Tarique Rahman: Dr. Zahid

1h | TBS Today
Students block road at Notun Bazar in protest against expulsion of 26 UIU students

Students block road at Notun Bazar in protest against expulsion of 26 UIU students

1h | TBS Today
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net