New Delhi: India on Monday categorically rejected a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that called for linking Washington’s security assistance and bilateral trade to improvements in New Delhi’s record in religious freedom.
In its report, the USCIRF criticised India for what it called increasing cases of alleged violations of religious freedom and recommended “targeted sanctions” on individuals and entities such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), holding them responsible for the situation.
The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan US federal government agency that monitors universal right to freedom of religion.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), trashing the report, said the USCIRF has persisted in presenting a “distorted and selective” picture of India, relying on “questionable sources and ideological narratives” rather than objective facts.
The USCIRF said that future US security assistance and trade with India should be linked to improvements in religious freedom in the country. It also called for designating India as a “Country of Particular Concern” while citing cases of alleged worsening of religious freedom in the country.
“We have taken note of the latest report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. We categorically reject its motivated and biased characterisation of India,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“For several years now, USCIRF has persisted in presenting a distorted and selective picture of India, relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives rather than objective facts,” he said.
Jaiswal said such “repeated misrepresentations” only undermine the credibility of the commission itself.
“Instead of persisting with selective criticism of India, USCIRF would do well to reflect on the disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the United States, selective targeting of India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in the United States, which merit serious attention,” he said.