New Delhi: MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India does not anticipate that the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) will acknowledge the reality of India’s pluralistic society.
On Wednesday, India asserted that the USCIRF should be classified as an entity of concern. The country criticized the commission’s latest annual report for perpetuating a trend of “biased and politically motivated evaluations.”
“We have reviewed the recently published 2025 Annual Report from the USCIRF, which again demonstrates its tendency to produce biased and politically charged assessments,” Jaiswal was quoted as saying by ANI.
He further remarked, “The USCIRF’s ongoing efforts to distort isolated incidents and undermine India’s dynamic multicultural society indicate a calculated agenda rather than a sincere concern for religious freedom.”
“India is home to 1.4 billion individuals who practice a wide array of religions. Nevertheless, we do not expect the USCIRF to recognize the reality of India’s pluralistic framework or to appreciate the peaceful coexistence of its diverse communities,” Jaiswal continued.
“Attempts to diminish India’s reputation as a symbol of democracy and tolerance will ultimately fail. In fact, it is the USCIRF that ought to be regarded as an entity of concern,” he concluded.
What did the U.S. Religious Freedom report assert?
In its findings, the USCIRF called on the U.S. government to designate India as a “country of particular concern” for “engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom,” as outlined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).
The report claimed that the conditions for religious freedom in India worsened in 2024, with an increase in attacks and discrimination against religious minorities.
