New Delhi: Possibly for the first time in India's history, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has filed an intervention application in the Supreme Court, seeking to join the pending petitions against the Citizenship Amendment.
The attempt was immediately rebuffed with the government asserting that "no foreign party" has any locus standi on internal matters of a sovereign country.
In a statement, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said India's Permanent Mission in Geneva was informed on Monday evening that the UN body has filed "an intervention application" in the Apex Court in connection with the CAA.
The legal plea by the UN came amid continued pro-tests, deaths and violence across the country over the CAA enacted last December.
The protests turned ugly in northeast Delhi last week with violence claiming 47 lives.
Following the tip-off from its office in Geneva, the government instructed Attorney General K K Venugopal to approach the Apex Court and ask it to throw out the UN body's application and not allow it on the court's board.
Raveesh Kumar said: "The CAA is an internal matter of India and concerns the sovereign right of the Indian Parliament to make laws. We strongly believe that no foreign party has any locus standi on issues pertaining to India's sovereignty."
He also asserted that the CAA is constitutionally valid and he is confident that India's legally-sustainable position would be vindicated by the Supreme Court.
He added: "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."
