US report on religious freedom biased: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs has rubbished a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on religious freedom in India. The MEA described the USCIRF as a “biased” organisation with a “political agenda”.
In its report, the USCIRF recommended to the US state department to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” over what it said was the “deteriorating and concerning trajectory” of religious freedom.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The USCIRF is a biased organisation 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 the USCIRF further.”
He said, “The USCIRF should desist from such agenda-driven efforts and it would be well advised to utilise its time more productively on addressing human rights issues in the US.”
The USCIRF is a US federal entity established by the US Congress to monitor religious freedom abroad. The report, which was released on Wednesday, said, “The USCIRF has recommended that the US state department designate India as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ for engaging in systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.” The report said religious freedom had worsened in 2024.
