'Biased views, vote bank politics': India slams US report on attack on minorities
India has slammed a US report that claimed that attacks on minority communities in India occurred throughout 2021.
India has accused the US of 'vote bank politics in international relations' after a US State Department report alleged attacks on minority communities in India occurred throughout 2021.
Reacting sharply to the US report, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We have noted the release of US State Department 2021 report on International Religious Freedom and ill-informed comments by senior US officials. It is unfortunate that vote bank politics is being practiced in international relations."
"We would urge that assessment based on motivated inputs and biased views be avoided," Bagchi added.
On June 2, the US claimed that attacks on minorities, including killings, assaults, and intimidation, occurred throughout 2021 in India.
"Attacks on members of religious minority communities, including killings, assaults, and intimidation, occurred throughout the year. These included incidents of ‘cow vigilantism’ against non-Hindus based on allegations of cow slaughter or trade in beef," said the India section of the report.
India had previously rejected the US religious freedom report, saying it sees no locus standi for a foreign government to pronounce on the state of its citizens' constitutionally protected rights.
The report also said that the police arrested non-Hindus for making comments in the media or on social media that were considered offensive to Hindus or Hinduism.
Reacting to the claims in the US report, the MEA spokesperson said, India, as a naturally pluralistic society, values religious freedom and human rights.
"In our discussions with the US, we have regularly highlighted issues of concern there, including racially and ethnically motivated attacks, hate crimes and gun violence," Bagchi stated.
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