The MEA on Tuesday stated a report of the US State Department expressing concern over religious freedom in India was primarily based on “misinformation and flawed understanding”. In an announcement, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated “motivated” and “biased commentary” by some US officers solely undermines additional the credibility of those stories.
“Regrettably, such stories proceed to be primarily based on misinformation and flawed understanding. Motivated and biased commentary by some US officers solely serves to undermine additional the credibility of those stories,” the MEA stated.
“We worth our partnership with the US and can proceed to have frank exchanges on problems with concern to us,” the assertion additional stated.
The report, launched on Could 15, listed assaults in opposition to non secular minorities, together with Muslims and Christians, in India, AFP reported.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whereas presenting the report, didn’t point out India whilst he voiced alarm on actions by authorities in China, Iran, Myanmar and Nicaragua.
The incidents that have been talked about within the report embody the discharge of convicts within the Bilkis Bano rape case, public flogging of Muslim males in Gujarat’s Kheda throughout Navaratri celebrations and the bulldozing of Muslim activist Afreen Fatima’s house in Uttar Pradesh. The hijab row in Karnataka additionally discovered a point out.
In its report, the US State Division stated there have been numerous stories of violence by regulation enforcement authorities in opposition to members of spiritual minorities in a number of states, together with “plainclothes police in Gujarat publicly flogging 4 Muslim males accused of injuring Hindu worshippers throughout a pageant in October”.
The report, primarily based on analysis in addition to accounts by media and advocacy teams, additionally pointed to considerations about house demolitions of Muslims. The report talked about the Madhya Pradesh authorities’s transfer to bulldoze Muslim-owned homes and retailers following communal violence in Khargone in April, PTI reported.
India has at all times maintained US’ non secular freedom stories would not paint the true image and are biased. Earlier this month, US Fee on Worldwide Non secular Freedom as soon as once more really useful that the State Division put India on a blacklist over its file.
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