Foreign Ministry’s response to America’s religious freedom report regarding India, ‘It is a matter of regret’

India on Religious Freedom Report: India on Tuesday (May 16) rejected the allegations made in the 2022 report of the US State Department based on International Religious Freedom. Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said, “We are aware of the release of the 2022 report of the US State Department on International Religious Freedom. Sadly, such reports are still based on misinformation and misunderstanding.

A senior US official said on Monday (May 15) that the governments of many countries, including Russia, India, China and Saudi Arabia, have been openly targeting members of the religious community. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bagchi said that the biased remarks made by some US officials only serve to reduce the credibility of these reports. “We value our partnership with the United States and will continue to have open exchanges on issues of concern to us,” he said.

What’s in the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom?

The US State Department issues an annual report on international religious freedom that documents the state of religious freedom in countries around the world. After the release of the report by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Rashad Hussain, special envoy of the Office for International Religious Freedom, said at a press conference in Washington, “Many governments openly target members of religious communities within their borders.” continues to make.

The report claims to provide a fact-based, comprehensive view of the state of religious freedom in nearly 200 countries and territories around the world. “It aims to highlight areas where freedom of religion or belief is being suppressed in order to promote accountability, and ultimately to drive progress toward a world where freedom of religion or belief is protected,” Blinken said. A reality for everyone everywhere.” Blinken, however, did not mention India in his comments, and the section on India in the annual report remains the same as in previous years.

American official said this about India

Rashad Hussain has mentioned India. Referring to some of the countries after Russia, including China and Afghanistan, Hussain said, “Law advocates and religious leaders belonging to various religious communities across India condemned the cases of blatant hate speech against Muslims in Haridwar city and the country.” called upon to uphold its historical tradition of pluralism and tolerance. The Burma (Myanmar) military administration is continuously suppressing the Rohingya population, due to which many people have fled their homes.

Mention of events in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh

The India section of the document states that during the year there were several reports of violence by law enforcement officers against members of religious minorities in several states, including plainclothes police in Gujarat during a festival in October. Including the public beating of four Muslim men accused of injuring Hindu worshippers, and the Madhya Pradesh government’s bulldozing of Muslim homes and shops following communal violence in Khargone in April.

The report said that in September, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat met five prominent members of the Muslim community to voice their concerns and discuss how to promote communal harmony between Muslims and Hindus.

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