Citizenship law internal matter; India safe haven for persecuted minorities: Maldives' speaker

The amended Citizenship Act is an internal matter of India, Maldives' Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed said on Friday, noting that the country has always been a safe haven for persecuted minorities. The former president of the Maldives, who is leading a parliamentary delegation to India, raised three key issues plaguing the island nation - the Islamic State, the debt trap of China and climate change.

Responding to a question on Maldives' stand on the amended Citizenship Act, Nasheed said it is India's internal matter. "I have complete trust in Indian democracy and whatever comes out from the process would be what the majority of people from India want. It is India's internal matter. India is one of the safe havens for persecuted minority communities," he said.