New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday rejected the recent US human rights report, terming it as “a mix of misrepresentations, and one-sided projections” that showcase a poor understanding of India’s democratic framework, pluralistic society, and robust institutional mechanisms for protecting human rights.
“As we have always maintained, these reports are a mix of imputations, misrepresentations, and one-sided projections that demonstrate a poor understanding of India’s democratic framework, pluralistic society, and robust institutional mechanisms for protecting human rights. We do not attach any credence to such biased assessments. We remain focused on advancing the human rights of our people through inclusive governance and development,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a weekly media briefing.
Earlier this week, the US State Department, in its ‘2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices’, claimed that the Indian government took “minimal steps” to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses.
In March, India had rejected a report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), stating that it continues its pattern of issuing biased and politically motivated assessments.
“We have seen the recently released 2025 Annual Report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which once again continues its pattern of issuing biased and politically motivated assessments. The USCIRF’s persistent attempts to misrepresent isolated incidents and cast aspersions on India’s vibrant multicultural society reflect a deliberate agenda rather than a genuine concern for religious freedom,” the MEA spokesperson had said while responding to media queries.
“India is home to 1.4 billion people who are adherents to all religions known to mankind. However, we have no expectation that the USCIRF will engage with the reality of India’s pluralistic framework or acknowledge the harmonious coexistence of its diverse communities. Such efforts to undermine India’s standing as a beacon of democracy and tolerance will not succeed. In fact, it is the USCIRF that should be designated as an entity of concern,” Jaiswal said in March.
It is not for the first time that India had slammed the USCIRF, the US federal government agency which monitors the universal right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) abroad and makes policy recommendations to the country’s President, Secretary of State and US Congress. Last October, while responding to media queries regarding the ‘Country Update’ on India in the USCIRF report, the MEA had made it clear that New Delhi’s views on the agency are well known.
–IANS
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