USA’s annual report on religious freedom contained a rare criticism of its emerging ally India, documenting incendiary comments by public officials and accounts of discrimination against Muslims and Christians. The report accused Indian officials of supporting attacks on minority worshippers.
The report did not go down well with the Indian authorities. India’s foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said senior US officials had made "ill-informed" and "biased" comments coinciding with the report’s release.
According to a statement made by Bagchi "As a naturally pluralistic society, India values religious freedom and human rights." He added "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."
Defending its record on religious tolerance India rebuked the United States for its own rights issues after the report was released by Washington.
While releasing the report, US secretary of state Antony Blinken also spoke about how the report highlights violation of rights in Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and other countries while adding in the same breath that the report, beyond these countries, also documents how religious freedoms and the rights of religious minorities are under threat in communities around the world. For example, he said, "in India we have seen rising attacks on people in places of worship". Rashad Hussain, the US ambassador at large for international religious freedom, added: "In India, some officials are ignoring or even supporting rising attacks on people and places of worship."
