An American Commission on International Religious Freedom has called the Citizenship Amendment Bill passed by the Lok Sabha a dangerous step in the wrong direction. The Commission has demanded a US ban on India's Home Minister Amit Shah if the bill is passed by both houses of Parliament. The Commission has also expressed concern over NRC.

According to the bill, citizens of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from three neighboring countries Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan as of 31 December 2014 will be given citizenship. Shah introduced it in the Lok Sabha on Monday. It was passed after a debate over seven hours. 311 members voted in favor of the bill, while 80 remained in opposition. It will now be introduced in the Rajya Sabha.

While presenting the bill, Amit Shah clarified that people belonging to any religion need not be afraid in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. He emphasized that this bill will provide relief to the minorities of the three neighboring countries who have suffered there.

Ban on Amit Shah and other leaders

In a statement released on Monday, the US Commission for International Religion Freedom (USCIRF) said, "If the CAB is passed by both houses of the Indian Parliament, the US government should consider a ban on Home Minister Amit Shah and other key leaders." It further goes on to say, 'USCIRF is deeply concerned by the passage of this bill in the Lok Sabha with religious norms introduced by Amit Shah.'

'Law on the basis of religion'

The USCIRF alleged that the CAB paves the way for immigrants to gain citizenship although it does not mention the Muslim community. In this way, the Bill sets the legal criteria for citizenship on the basis of religion. He said, 'The cab is a dangerous move in the wrong direction. This contradicts India's rich history of secular pluralism and the Indian Constitution, which rises above religious discrimination to guarantee equality before the law. '