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India calls USCIRF's view of religious freedom in India 'misrepresentation'
New Delhi/IBNS: India on Tuesday sharply rejected the critical observations made by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) over violations of religious freedom in the country stating that the 'misrepresentation' by the American government panel has reached new levels.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the USCIRF is biased in its comments against India, "which is not new."
"We reject the observations on India in the USCIRF Annual Report. Its biased and tendentious comments against India are not new. But on this occasion, its misrepresentation has reached new levels. It has not been able to carry its own Commissioners in its endeavour. We regard it as an organization of particular concern and will treat it accordingly," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in an official statement.
In its annual report, USCIRF has recommended 14 countries to be designated as 'Countries of Particular Concern', meaning their governments engage in or tolerate “systematic, ongoing, egregious” violations of religious freedom.
USCIRF recommends 14 countries to be designated as Countries of Particular Concern, meaning their governments engage in or tolerate “systematic, ongoing, egregious” violations of religious freedom #USCIRFAnnualReport2020
— USCIRF (@USCIRF) April 28, 2020
"Countries of Particular Concern in #USCIRFAnnualReport2020: Burma, China, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam," the USCIRF tweeted.
Countries of Particular Concern in #USCIRFAnnualReport2020: Burma, China, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam
— USCIRF (@USCIRF) April 28, 2020
Following this Indian Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee said: "India does not belong to the same category as authoritarian regimes like China and North Korea. India is the largest democratic nation in the world, where the CAA has been challenged openly by the opposition Congress Party and lawmakers, civil society, and various groups."
The US Government established the USCIRF in 1998 following the inaction of the International Religious Freedom Act.
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