(Image source from: aninews.in)

US States Department appealed protesters to step back from the violence and asked the authorities to “protect and respect the right to peaceful assembly” observing that the protests may take place regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in India.

“We are closely following the developments regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act. We urge authorities to protect and respect the right of peaceful assembly. We also urge protesters to refrain from violence,” as said to ANI by a US States Department spokesperson on Monday.

The State Department stressed on the law that respects the freedom and equal religious treatment by the democracies of the US and India and urged India to see to it that the rights of the religious minorities are being protected while keeping with democratic values and constitution of India.

Stressing about “respect for religious freedom and equal treatment and equal treatment under the law are fundamental principles of our two democracies. The United States urges India to protect the rights of its religious minorities in keeping with India’s Constitution and democratic values,” the state Department said.

Violence has erupted in various parts of the country as protests were being held in the country regarding the Citizenship Act that had been amended recently.

The Citizenship Act that was amended seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslim communities i.e., Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities from the three neighbouring countries Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who have been facing religious persecution there and have arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.

By Shrithika Kushangi