The U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), whose report this year downgraded India’s ratings on religious freedom, came under fire from the government on July 2 for statements that expressed “concerns” about the treatment of minorities, human rights campaigners, and the media.
In response to many tweets sent on the USCIRF handle that denounced the Modi administration, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of External Affairs made the statement – “USCIRF continues to misrepresent facts time and again in its statements and reports in pursuance of its motivated agenda. Such actions only serve to strengthen concerns about the credibility and objectivity of the organization.”
In the tweets, USCIRF Commissioner David Curry made a comment and attached a news article about the arrest of Gujarat activists Teesta Setalvad, R.B. Sreekumar, and Sanjeev Bhatt. Curry accused the government of “continued repression of critical voices — especially religious minorities and those reporting on and advocating for them.”
Read more: UN Breaks Silence On Udaipur Murder In India Finally
The persecution of “human rights advocates, journalists, campaigners, and spiritual leaders in India is not representative of a society with a history of democracy,” according to another statement made by USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck.
The tweet contained information on the arrest of Mohammed Zubair, the co-founder of the very popular Alt News, who was denied bail once more on Saturday in connection with a claim that he offended religious feelings in a tweet he made in 2018 that contained a still image from a Hindi movie made in the year 1983.
Although the U.S. State Department criticised India in its report on religious freedom, which was published in June 2022, it did not accept the suggestion that India be added to the CPC list, which is kept by the U.S. government.
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Feature Image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: The Hindu, Indian Express, The Pioneer
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This post is tagged under: usa, india, government, religious freedom, criticism
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