India Rejects USCIRF Annual Report Alleging Mistreatment of Minorities, MEA Says 'Misrepresentation Has Reached New Levels'
India on Tuesday rejected remarks made by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) about alleged mistreatment of minorities.
New Delhi, April 28: India on Tuesday rejected remarks made by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) about alleged mistreatment of minorities in the country. Describing USCIRF's annual report as "biased" and "tendentious", India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the American commission's "misrepresentation has reached new levels".
"We reject the observations on India in the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Annual Report. Its biased and tendentious comments against India are not new. But on this occasion, its misrepresentation has reached new levels," the MEA said. "It has not been able to carry its own Commissioners in its endeavour. We regard it as an organization of particular concern and will treat it accordingly," it added.
In its annual report for 2020, the USCIRF said the Indian government has allowed "campaigns of harassment and violence" against Muslims and other religious minorities. Recommending "country of particular concern" status for India, the commission slammed the Indian government over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Why Citizenship Amendment Act+NRC Raise Fear And Concerns: A Multi-Dimensional Take.
"In 2019, religious freedom conditions in India experienced a drastic turn downward, with religious minorities under increasing assault...The national government used its strengthened parliamentary majority to institute national-level policies violating religious freedom across India, especially for Muslims," it noted.
US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Annual Report 2020:
"The national and various state governments also allowed nationwide campaigns of harassment and violence against religious minorities to continue with impunity, and engaged in and tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence against them. Based on these developments, in this report, USCIRF recommends CPC designation for India," the commission said.
The bipartisan commission, created in 1998 by Congress to make policy recommendations about global religious freedom, has no power to enforce its recommendations, but the State Department is required to consider them.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 28, 2020 10:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).