New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has firmly dismissed the latest report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), labeling it as “malicious” and indicative of the commission’s biased stance against India.
In a statement released on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that the commission continues to misrepresent facts and advance a politically motivated narrative. Jaiswal stated, “Our views on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) are well known. It is a biased organization with a political agenda. It continues to misrepresent facts and peddles a motivated narrative about India. We reject this malicious report, which only serves to discredit USCIRF further.”
Our response to media queries regarding Country Update on India in the US Commission on International Religious Freedom report:https://t.co/NPNfWd7QE9 pic.twitter.com/8m1xQ97dyK
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) October 3, 2024
The MEA further urged the USCIRF to focus on pressing human rights issues within the United States rather than engaging in what it termed “agenda-driven efforts” regarding India’s internal affairs. The statement concluded by advising the commission to use its resources more effectively on addressing human rights concerns domestically.
The USCIRF’s in its report raised alarms about the state of religious freedom in India, citing serious allegations of violence, including killings and lynchings carried out by vigilante groups throughout 2024. It also mentioned the arbitrary arrest of religious leaders and the demolition of homes and religious sites, describing these incidents as severe violations of religious freedom.
Additionally, the report claimed that misinformation and hate speech by government officials have been used to incite violence against religious minorities, alongside referencing changes to India’s legal framework that purportedly target these communities. Specific laws mentioned included the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), and several state-level regulations addressing anti-conversion and cow slaughter.