‘Vote bank politics in international relations’: India’s strong reply to America
Highlight
- India reacted strongly against a report released by the US State Department on religious freedom.
- ‘It is unfortunate that vote bank politics is being played in international relations’: MEA
- India values religious freedom and human rights, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bagchi clarified.
India on Friday reacted strongly to the US report on attacks on minorities in the country, saying “it is unfortunate that vote bank politics is being played in international relations”.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said the assessments in the report were based on “motivated input and partisan views” and sought to highlight the rising gun violence in the US.
“We have released the US State Department’s 2021 report on international religious freedom and misinformed comments by senior US officials,” Bagchi said.
“It is unfortunate that vote bank politics is being practiced in international relations. We would urge that motivated inputs and assessments based on partisan views are avoided,” he said, “as a naturally pluralistic society, India values religious freedom and human rights”.
Drawing attention to the increasing number of gun violence in the US, he said, “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. “
The US State Department’s annual report to Congress on International Religious Freedom was released by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The report gives its perspective on the status and violations of religious freedom around the world and has separate chapters on each country.
India had earlier rejected the US Religious Freedom Report saying it had no right to speak about the constitutionally protected rights of its citizens by a foreign government.
Read more: How a state ‘living example’ of escaping accountability for genocide, ethnic cleansing: India