WASHINGTON: Members of a Congress-created federal body that monitors violation of religious freedom abroad on Wednesday expressed concern over India’s amended citizenship laws, saying it could result in the “widescale disenfranchisement” of Muslims in the country.

Members of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) along with an invited panel of experts convened a hearing mainly focused on India’s CAA and the Rohingya Muslims issue in Myanmar to help develop policy recommendations for the US government in response to the issues.

Referring to the CAA and the NRC, Anurima Bhargava, USCIRF Commissioner, said the recent actions by the Indian government were troubling. “There are fears, however, that this law in conjunction with a planned NPR and a potential nation-wide NRC could result in the wide-scale disenfranchisement of Indian Muslims,” she said.

