New Delhi, in an unusually forceful response to criticism against it in a US government report on religious freedom, India on Friday described the findings as "deeply biased", visibly driven by "vote bank" considerations and a mix of imputations and selective use. of facts.
Dismissing the report, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it selectively cherry-picked incidents to promote a "preconceived narrative" and even appeared to challenge the integrity of certain legal rulings delivered by Indian courts.
The US State Department's 2023 report on religious freedom referenced violent attacks on minority communities in India, including murders and assaults, as well as citing violence in the northeastern state of Manipur.
"As in the past, the report is deeply biased, lacks understanding of India's social fabric and is visibly driven by vote bank considerations and a prescriptive perspective. Therefore, we reject it," Jaiswal said.
"The exercise itself is a mix of imputations, misrepresentations, selective use of facts, reliance on biased sources and a one-sided projection of the problems," he said.
"This extends even to the description of our constitutional provisions and duly enacted laws of India. It has also selectively chosen incidents to promote a preconceived narrative," Jaiswal added.
The spokesperson argued that the report appeared to "challenge" the integrity of certain legal rulings handed down by Indian courts.
"In some cases, the report questions the very validity of laws and regulations, as well as the right of legislatures to enact them," he said.
"The report has also focused on regulations that monitor misuse of financial flows into India. By suggesting that the compliance burden is unreasonable, it seeks to question the need for such measures," Jaiswal said.
He said the United States has even stricter laws and regulations and would surely not prescribe such solutions on its own.
Human rights and respect for diversity have been and continue to be a legitimate topic of discussion between India and the United States, he added.
"In 2023, India has officially taken up numerous cases in the US of hate crimes, racial attacks against Indian citizens and other minorities, vandalism and attacks on places of worship, violence and mistreatment by security authorities. enforce the law, as well as the compliance of politicians space to the defenders of extremism and terrorism abroad," he stated.
"However, such dialogues should not become a license for foreign interference in other policies," Jaiswal said.
In his remarks as the report was released on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there has been a "concerning increase" in anti-conversion laws, hate speech and demolitions of members' homes and places of worship. of minority religious communities. In India.
"In India, we are seeing a worrying rise in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority religious communities," Blinken said.
Dismissing the report, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it selectively cherry-picked incidents to promote a "preconceived narrative" and even appeared to challenge the integrity of certain legal rulings delivered by Indian courts.
The US State Department's 2023 report on religious freedom referenced violent attacks on minority communities in India, including murders and assaults, as well as citing violence in the northeastern state of Manipur.
"As in the past, the report is deeply biased, lacks understanding of India's social fabric and is visibly driven by vote bank considerations and a prescriptive perspective. Therefore, we reject it," Jaiswal said.
"The exercise itself is a mix of imputations, misrepresentations, selective use of facts, reliance on biased sources and a one-sided projection of the problems," he said.
"This extends even to the description of our constitutional provisions and duly enacted laws of India. It has also selectively chosen incidents to promote a preconceived narrative," Jaiswal added.
The spokesperson argued that the report appeared to "challenge" the integrity of certain legal rulings handed down by Indian courts.
"In some cases, the report questions the very validity of laws and regulations, as well as the right of legislatures to enact them," he said.
"The report has also focused on regulations that monitor misuse of financial flows into India. By suggesting that the compliance burden is unreasonable, it seeks to question the need for such measures," Jaiswal said.
He said the United States has even stricter laws and regulations and would surely not prescribe such solutions on its own.
Human rights and respect for diversity have been and continue to be a legitimate topic of discussion between India and the United States, he added.
"In 2023, India has officially taken up numerous cases in the US of hate crimes, racial attacks against Indian citizens and other minorities, vandalism and attacks on places of worship, violence and mistreatment by security authorities. enforce the law, as well as the compliance of politicians space to the defenders of extremism and terrorism abroad," he stated.
"However, such dialogues should not become a license for foreign interference in other policies," Jaiswal said.
In his remarks as the report was released on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there has been a "concerning increase" in anti-conversion laws, hate speech and demolitions of members' homes and places of worship. of minority religious communities. In India.
"In India, we are seeing a worrying rise in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority religious communities," Blinken said.