New Delhi, Mar 26 (UNI) India on Wednesday slammed the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for its “biased and politically motivated" annual report and said that such efforts to "undermine India’s standing as a beacon of democracy and tolerance will not succeed".
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a statement, said that rather it is the USCIRF “that should be designated as an entity of concern”.
USCIRF in its latest report has recommended that India along with Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Vietnam be designated as “additional Countries of Particular Concern”.
The MEA spokesperson said the USCIRF in its latest report “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.
“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,” the statement said.
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