India Slams US Religious Freedom Report as “Deeply Biased” and Misrepresentative

New Delhi: India slammed the US State Department’s 2023 International Religious Freedom report, labelling it “deeply biased” and misrepresentative of India’s social realities.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, dismissed the report, accusing it of lacking understanding of India’s diverse fabric and being driven by vote-bank considerations.

Jaiswal highlighted, “The report relies on biased sources, selective facts, and misrepresentations, while challenging the validity of Indian laws and the integrity of judicial judgments.” He further criticised the report for questioning India’s financial compliance measures, noting the hypocrisy in the US having stricter regulations but not prescribing similar standards for itself.

In response to concerns raised in the report regarding hate speech and anti-conversion laws, the MEA stated that human rights and diversity discussions between India and the US are ongoing but cautioned against foreign interference in domestic policies.

Regarding the mention of changes in India related to concerns over Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Jaiswal mentioned the formation of a high-level committee to address these issues based on US inputs.

The statement concluded by affirming India’s commitment to addressing cases of hate crimes and mistreatment of minorities, emphasizing the importance of respectful dialogue between nations without compromising on sovereignty.