India has reached out to countries across the world on the issues of the new citizenship law and the proposed National Register of Citizens, the ministry of external affairs said on Thursday.
"We did reach out to countries across the globe on Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing.
"We emphasised that the Act (CAA) just expedites acquiring of citizenship to persecuted minorities. It does not change basic structure of Constitution," he said.
Kumar said that the engagement undergoes a certain internal process.
"Firstly, this matter is entirely internal to India so we ask them (Indian missions abroad) to convey the government there that the act provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities already in India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh," he said.
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"We also convey to them that it does not affect other communities from seeking citizenship. It does not seek to strip anybody of Indian citizenship, practising any faith. Neither do they alter the basic structures of the Constitution," the spokesperson continued.
These are the points, Kumar said, are conveyed to the consulate generals and ambassadors settled abroad and are asked to reach out not only to the governments but also to the media there as well.
"After we realised that a lot of explaining was involved, we adopted a two-pronged setting for the process," he further said.
Protests have erupted in several parts of the country over the CAA which grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.
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On when the India-Japan summit, which was postponed following protests in Guwahati last month, will be held, Kumar said the dates for it will be finalised soon.
(With inputs from agencies)
