Anti-Muslim citizenship law: India summons Malaysian envoy over Mahathir’s remarks

NEW DELHI: New Delhi has summoned Malaysia’s envoy after the country’s prime minister made critical comments about India’s new anti-Muslim citizenship act, describing his remarks as erroneous and harmful.

The Malaysian ambassador was told that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s objections to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are both “ill-informed and insensitive,” an official was quoted as saying by international media.

In an earlier statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that the Malaysian leader had interfered in a matter “entirely internal to India,” and stressed that the legislation fast-tracks naturalisation for persecuted minorities from neighbouring Muslim-majority states, and has no bearing on those who are already citizens of India.

“The prime minister of Malaysia's comment is factually inaccurate. We call upon Malaysia to refrain from commenting on internal developments in India, especially without a right understanding of the facts,” the statement said.

The Malaysian leader had criticised the new law while speaking on the sidelines of a summit in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. “I am sorry to see that India, which claims to be a secular state now is taking action to deprive some Muslims of their citizenship… People are dying because of this law,” he stated.

Ongoing nationwide rallies against the CAA have turned violent and have already claimed many lives. While protesters see the law as discriminatory against Muslims, the Indian government says it is only aimed at protecting persecuted minorities.