The US government should consider sanctions against Home Minister Amit Shah, in photo, and "other principal leadership" if the Citizenship Amendment Bill is approved by Parliament, the US panel said. (Photo: PTI)

India says the US panel USCIRF's statement condemning a controversial bill on citizenship, now pending approval by the Rajya Sabha, is "neither accurate nor warranted".

"The statement made by the USCIRF on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is neither accurate nor warranted. The bill provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities already in India from certain contiguous countries. It seeks to address their current difficulties and meet their basic human rights. Such an initiative should be welcomed, not criticised by those who are genuinely committed to religious freedom," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said explaining the decision of the government.

If made law, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill would give non-Muslim refugees from religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh a path to Indian citizenship.

Critics of the bill say it is unconstitutional. The United States Commission on Interational Religious Freedom (USCIRF) described the legislation as "a dangerous turn in the wrong direction", and said it was "deeply troubled" by its passage in the Lok Sabha.

"If the CAB passes in both Houses of Parliament, the United States government should consider sanctions against the Home Minister [the bill was introduced by Amit Shah] and other principal leadership," the USCIRF said.

Responding to threat of sanctions against Home Minister Amit Shah, the MEA spokesperson said, "The position articulated by USCIRF is not surprising given its past record. It is, however, regrettable that the body has chosen to be guided only by its prejudices and biases on a matter on which it clearly has little knowledge and no _locus standi_."

"Neither the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill nor the National Register of Citizens process seek to strip citizenship from any Indian citizen of any faith," the MEA said.

"Every nation, including the US, has the right to enumerate and validate its citizenry and to exercise this prerogative through various policies," it said.

Earlier, the CAB has come under criticism from various quarters of the US government. The US House Foreign Affairs Committee in a tweet raised concerns regarding the basic premise of the bill.

"Religious pluralism is central to the foundations of both India and the United States and is one of our core shared values. Any religious test for citizenship undermines this most basic democratic tenet. #CABBill," the tweet read.

Similarly, the USCIRF said that the bill runs contrary to the secular fabric of India.

"The CAB enshrines a pathway to citizenship for immigrants that specifically excludes Muslims, setting a legal criterion for citizenship based on religion. The CAB is a dangerous turn in the wrong direction; it runs counter to India’s rich history of secular pluralism and the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law regardless of faith," the statement said.