European Parliament's members strongly denounce India's controversial Citizenship act.

ISLAMABAD -- India's controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has received strong criticism by members of European Parliament Brussels with serious concerns expressed over its discriminatory nature.

The Members of European Parliament (MEPs) representing various party groups took part in a debate on the resolution, the voting for which was deferred till March at a session held on Thursday due to the case currently pending with Supreme Court of India.

Spanish MEP Idoia Villanueva from Ruiz of Group of European United Left -Nordic Green, said the recently-passed laws in India, namely the CAA 2019 and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A, conflicted with democratic values and violated international law.

She said Modi government's repression of Kashmir was tantamount to fascism and should be condemned.

Michael Gahler, MEP from Germany representing European Peoples Party Group in the European Parliament, said as the issue led to violence, the EU needed to have a closer look on what's happening in India.

British MEP John Howarth, representing Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats strongly criticised India for initiating CAA for being highly discriminatory piece of legislation targeting a specific religious group, particularly Muslims.

'A strong message needs to be sent to the Indian government, whether it is Kashmir or rights of citizens, that without respect for human rights, India's relations with the EU would be under serious threat.'

MEP Scott Ainslie of Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance termed CAA having an Islamophobic agenda which could deny 200 million Muslims, nearly half the population of the EU towards statelessness, incarceration and deportation.

He said it was shameful that in the state of...