'Biased Organization With A Political Agenda': India Challenges US Religious Freedom Body's Credibility

India on Thursday (2 May) hit out at US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and said it continues to publish its propaganda on the country “masquerading” as part of an annual report.

In a sharp response to the USCIRF’s latest report that has criticised India for alleged violations of religious freedom, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the organisation is known to be a “biased” entity with a political agenda.

"USCIRF, that is United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, they had released their report 2024 yesterday. The 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," Jaiswal said.

He firmly asserted that any attempts by the organisation to interfere in India's electoral process, the largest in the world, will be futile.

"We really have no expectation that USCIRF will even seek to understand India's diverse, pluralistic and democratic ethos. Their efforts to interfere in the largest electoral exercise of the world will never succeed," he added.

The USCIRF, established by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, is a US federal government commission with commissioners appointed by the President and the leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

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