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India on Thursday hit out at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and said that it is trying to “interfere” in the Indian election process. Speaking to the media during the weekly interaction, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal described the U.S. government entity, which came out with a report on religious freedom earlier this week, as a “biased organisation with a political agenda”.
“The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is known as a biased organization with a political agenda. They continue to publish their propaganda on India masquerading as part of an annual report. We really have no expectation that USCIRF will even seek to understand India’s diverse, pluralistic and democratic ethos,” said Mr. Jaiswal, in his response to a question on the USCIRF’s annual report which demanded that India should be declared by the U.S. government as a “country of particular concern” because of what it described as “particularly severe religious freedom violations”.
Mr. Jaiswal said, “Their efforts to interfere in the largest electoral exercise of the world will never succeed.” India and the U.S. are both part of the Quad formation with Australia and Japan, and both sides have often in the past talked about “shared values” like dedication to civil liberties and freedom.
The unusually strong remarks about USCIRF however was qualified by Mr. Jaiswal, while dealing with a question from The Hindu, saying, “I would urge you to look at the report, page to page and see the kind of observations made there. You will have your own judgment on those issues.”
India’s response on the USCIRF’s annual report for 2024 is the latest in a series of similar exchanges with partner countries like Canada, Germany and Australia.
Mr. Jaiswal took up Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s attendance at a political rally where pro-Khalistan slogans were raised, that ultimately prompted South Block on Monday to summon the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada.
“Mr. Trudeau has made such remarks earlier as well. His remarks illustrate once again the political space that has been given in Canada to separatism, extremism, and violence. This not only impacts India-Canada relations but also encourages a climate of violence and criminality in Canada to the detriment of its own citizens,” said Mr. Jaiswal.
Alongside these exchanges, there are growing concerns here about the circumstances faced by Indian students in various U.S. universities, especially in the backdrop of the crackdown on students who protested against Israel’s action in Gaza. Earlier in April, an Indian-origin student was arrested and barred by Princeton University and there are fears that Indian students might face difficulties if they were apprehended by authorities while participating in anti-Israel protests on campus. Mr. Jaiswal, in response to a related question, said, “Neither the Embassy nor any Consulate has been approached by Indian students or their families seeking assistance regarding any disciplinary action for participation in protests in the universities. We expect all our citizens at home and and abroad to respect local laws and regulations.”
