India today reacted sharply to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights filing an intervention application in the Indian Supreme Court against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
"Our Permanent Mission in Geneva was informed yesterday evening by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that her office had filed an Intervention Application in the Supreme Court of India in respect to the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act," the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a press note today.
"No foreign party has any locus standi on issues pertaining to India's sovereignty," it said.
"Locus standi" is the right or capacity to bring an action or to appear in a court.
The Indian external affairs ministry said, the CAA "is an internal matter of India and concerns the sovereign right of the Indian parliament to make laws."
"We are clear that the CAA is constitutionally valid and complies with all requirements of our constitutional values. It is reflective of our long-standing national commitment in respect of human rights issues arising from the tragedy of the Partition of India," the note said.
It said "India is a democratic country governed by the rule of law. We all have utmost respect for and full trust in our independent judiciary.
"We are confident that our sound and legally sustainable position would be vindicated by the Hon'ble Supreme Court," the note added.
