Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai As India continues to experience violent protests against a controversial citizenship law, Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai has said citizenship should never be based on a person’s religion.
“The ongoing controversy and demonstrations and counterdemonstrations concerning the Citizenship Amendment Act (are) a cause of great anxiety for all citizens and could harm the country,” Cardinal Gracias, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, said in a statement.
At least 24 people have died throughout India since December 4 in protests against the act, which has since been signed into law.
The law permits Hindus, Christians and other religious minorities who are in the country illegally to become citizens if they can show they were persecuted because of their religion in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It does not apply to Muslims.
The law had been pushed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has espoused staunch nationalist views, and the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party, which runs the government.