India strongly condemns USCIRF report, calls it 'biased', politically driven

Terming USCIRF as a "biased organisation", in reply to a media query, foreign ministry's spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: "Our views on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) are well known. It is a biased organization with a political agenda."

Anish Kumar

First Published Oct 3, 2024, 5:58 PM IST | Last Updated Oct 3, 2024, 5:58 PM IST

New Delhi: India on Thursday (October 3) sharply reacted to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report on alleged "increasing abuses" against the minorities and asked them to utilise their time more productively on addressing human rights issues in the United States.

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"We would urge USCIRF to desist from such agenda driven efforts. The USCIRF would also be well advised to utilise its time more productively on addressing human rights issues in the United States."

Rejecting the report, he said that the USCIRF continues to misrepresent facts and peddles a motivated narrative about India.

On Wednesday, the USCIRF released the report and recommended the US State Department to designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern" over alleged "deteriorating and concerning trajectory" of religious freedom in India.

It should be noted that the USCIRF was set up by the US Congress, which is a federal entity, to monitor religious freedom abroad.

In its report, the USCIRF highlighted about how "individuals have been killed, beaten, and lynched by vigilante groups, religious leaders have been arbitrarily arrested, and homes and places of worship have been demolished".

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The report further stated that religious freedom in India worsened in 2024, particularly ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.