India condemns US religious freedom report as blatant “propaganda”

DELHI: India condemned the religious freedom report from the United States (US) Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Thursday.

According to the Voice of America (VOA), India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal criticised the report and called it “propaganda on India”. The spokesperson criticised USCIRF for failing to understand India’s ‘diverse’, ‘pluralistic’, and ‘democratic values’. He stated that their efforts to interfere in India’s internal affairs would not “succeed”.

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The report recommended that India be designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to concerns about religious freedom violations.

The USCIRF report detailed concerns about discriminatory nationalist policies, hateful rhetoric, and communal violence perpetuated by the Indian government, particularly under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

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The report detailed that such actions disproportionately affect minority communities, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and Adivasis.

The report recommended sanctions against those responsible for religious freedom violations and urged the US Congress to condition financial assistance and arms sales to India on improvements in religious freedom conditions.