Bishops of India’s eastern rite Syro-Malabar Church have urged the federal government to clarify amendments made to the country’s citizenship law on Jan. 11, a day after the new law came into force. The prelates’ call came during their ongoing Bishops’ Synod, the Church’s top decision-making gathering, at their headquarters in Kochi city in southern Kerala State.

Of the 64 bishops, 57 are attending the Jan. 7-15 Synod.

India’s federal government led by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party amended the Citizenship Act of 1955 on Dec. 11, 2019.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) aims to grant citizenship to illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan if they are not Muslims. The new law also relaxes the requirement of residence in India from 11 years to five years for such migrants.

Since the amendment, the country has witnessed wide-spread violent protests seeking to scrap it on the grounds that it violates the secular fabric of the country as it was biased against Muslims.

“The secular character of our constitution shall not be under any doubt,” he said, explaining the reason for bishops seeking clarification. The bishop also urged the government to grant citizenship to refugees in the country with-out any religious discrimination.