A month ahead of PM Modi visit, US criticises India over religious freedom

Seeking MEA reaction over the religious freedom report, noted media personality Suhasini Haidar has said just one month before a state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the US State Department has releasd a report on religious freedom, referring to ruling party for more than 20 incidents of violence, intimidation of minorities in India.

“1 month before it will host PM Modi to US for a State Visit, US State Department releases a scathing report on religious freedom, refers to ruling party for more than 20 incidents of violence, intimidation of minorities in India… Awaiting MEA reaction,”Suhasini Haidar tweeted.

The State Department report talks about the attacks on members of religious minority communities, including killings, assaults, and intimidation in various states throughout the year. These included incidents of “cow vigilantism” against non-Hindus based on allegations of cow slaughter or trade in beef and incidents in which Muslim men were alleged to have married Hindu women to convert them. There were also cases of communal violence between religious groups.

The report further said thirteen of 28 states have laws restricting religious conversions for all faiths. Some of these states also impose penalties specifically against forced religious conversions for the purpose of marriage although historically, some state high courts have dismissed cases brought under these laws.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while presenting the report, did not mention India as he voiced alarm by actions by authorities in China, Iran, Myanmar and Nicaragua.

New Delhi has long hit back at American criticism on religious freedom, particularly by the autonomous US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which earlier this month once again recommended that the State Department put India on a blacklist over its record.