A month before PM Modi’s visit, US criticizes India over religious freedom

Seeking the response of the Ministry of External Affairs on the religious freedom report, noted media personality Suhasini Haider has said that just a month before the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the US State Department has released a report on religious freedom, in which more than 20 For more incidents refer to the ruling party. of violence, intimidation of minorities in India.

“1 month before Prime Minister Modi is to host the US for a state visit, the US State Department released a scathing report on religious freedom, over 20 incidents of violence in India, intimidation of minorities and the ruling party Referred to… MEA’s response awaited tweeted Suhasini Haider.

The State Department report talks about attacks on members of religious minority communities, including murders, assaults and intimidation, in various states throughout the year. These included incidents of “cow vigilantism” against non-Hindus based on allegations of cow slaughter or beef trading and incidents in which Muslim men were accused of marrying Hindu women for alleged religious conversion. There were also cases of sectarian violence between religious groups.

The report further states that 13 out of 28 states have laws prohibiting conversions for all religions. Some of these states also impose penalties specifically against forced conversions for the purpose of marriage, although historically, some state high courts have dismissed cases brought under these laws.

Foreign Minister Antony Blinken did not mention India while presenting the report, as he warned about actions by authorities in China, Iran, Myanmar and Nicaragua.

New Delhi has long rebuffed US criticism on religious freedom, particularly by the autonomous US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which earlier this month once again recommended that the State Department blacklist India on its record. Put it in