New Delhi
India on Friday (June 28) rejected the United States (US) report on international religious freedom as "deeply biased" and lacking understanding of India's social dynamics. Addressing the press conference, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have noted the release by the US State Department of its report on international religious Freedom for 2023."
"As in the past, the report is deeply biased, lacks an understanding of India's social fabric, and is visibly driven by votebank considerations and a prescriptive outlook. We therefore reject it," Jaiswal said.
The criticism
Jaiswal criticised the report for its "selective use of facts" and reliance on biased sources. The foreign ministry spokesperson pointed out that the report questioned the validity of Indian laws and regulations, including those aimed at monitoring financial flows and ensuring compliance, which New Delhi sees as essential for national security.
"The report has also targeted regulations that monitor the misuse of financial flows into India, suggesting that the burden of compliance is unreasonable. It seeks to question the need for such measures," he said.
Breaking: India slams US International Religious Freedom report. Calls it biased, driven by vote bank politics. @MEAIndia @randhir_jk : pic.twitter.com/Gd8A0C4CJS
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) June 28, 2024
"In 2023, India has officially taken up numerous cases in the US of hate crimes, racial attacks on Indian nationals and other minorities, vandalisation and targeting of places of worship, violence, and mistreatment by law enforcement authorities, as well as according to political space to advocates of extremism and terrorism abroad," Jaiswal further said.
What did the report say?
The report on international religious freedom by the US State Department expressed worries regarding India's anti-conversion laws, incidents of hate speech, and alleged demolitions of residences and religious sites belonging to minority communities.
Releasing the report earlier this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that at present, "governments around the world continue to target individuals, shutter places of worship, forcibly displace communities, and imprison people because of their religious beliefs."
"In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities," Blinken added.