Washington, Apr 29: A US government panel on Tuesday called for India to be put on a religious freedom blacklist over a "drastic" downturn under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggering a sharp rebuttal from New Delhi.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom recommends but does not set policy, and there is virtually no chance the State Department will follow its lead on India, an increasingly close US ally.
In an annual report, the bipartisan panel narrowly agreed that India should join the ranks of "countries of particular concern" that would be subject to sanctions if they do not improve their records.
"In 2019, religious freedom conditions in India experienced a drastic turn downward, with religious minorities under increasing assault," the report said.
It called on the United States to impose punitive measures, including visa bans, on Indian officials believed responsible and grant funding to civil society groups that monitor hate speech.
The commission said that Modi's Hindu nationalist government, which won a convincing election victory last year, "allowed violence against minorities and their houses of worship to continue with impunity, and also engaged in and tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence."
It pointed to comments by Home Minister Amit Shah, who notoriously referred to mostly Muslim migrants as "termites," and to a citizenship law that has triggered nationwide protests.
It also highlighted the revocation of the autonomy of Kashmir, which was India's only Muslim-majority state, and allegations that Delhi police turned a blind eye to mobs who attacked Muslim neighborhoods in February this year.
Coronavirus state-wise India update: Total number of confirmed cases, deaths on April 29
The Indian government, long irritated by the commission's comments, quickly rejected the report.
"Its biased and tendentious comments against India are not new. But on this occasion, its misrepresentation has reached new levels," foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said.
"We regard it as an organization of particular concern and will treat it accordingly," he said in a statement.
The State Department designates nine "countries of particular concern" on religious freedom -- China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The commission asked that all nine countries remain on the list. In addition to India, it sought the inclusion of four more -- Nigeria, Russia, Syria and Vietnam.
Pakistan, India's historic rival, was added by the State Department in 2018 after years of appeals by the commission.
In its latest report, the commission said that Pakistan "continued to trend negatively," voicing alarm at forced conversions of Hindus and other minorities, abuse of blasphemy prosecutions and a ban on the Ahmadi sect calling itself Muslim.
India's citizenship law fast-tracks naturalization for minorities from neighbouring countries -- but not if they are Muslim.
Modi's government says it is not targeting Muslims but rather providing refuge to persecuted people and should be commended.
But critics consider it a watershed move by Modi to define the world's largest democracy as a Hindu nation and chip away at independent India's founding principle of secularism.
Tony Perkins, the commission's chair, called the law a "tipping point" and voiced concern about a registry in the northeastern state of Assam, under which 1.9 million people failed to produce documentation to prove that they were Indian citizens before 1971 when mostly Muslim migrants flowed in during Bangladesh's bloody war of independence.
"The intentions of the national leaders are to bring this about throughout the entire country," Perkins told an online news conference.
"You could potentially have 100 million people, mostly Muslims, left stateless because of their religion. That would be, obviously, an international issue," said Perkins, a Christian activist known for his opposition to gay rights who is close to President Donald Trump's administration.
Three of the nine commissioners dissented -- including another prominent Christian conservative, Gary Bauer, who voiced alarm about India's direction but said the ally could not be likened to non-democracies such as China.
"I am deeply concerned that this public denunciation risks exactly the opposite outcome than the one we all desire," Bauer said.
Trump, who called for a ban on Muslim immigration to the US when he ran for president, hailed Modi on a February visit to New Delhi.
"Female foeticide is a sin. So what if the sinner is a Hindu. My government has taken a number of steps (to stop this practice). Daughters, mothers, sisters should be protected. One should not consider religion. Mothers and sisters should be respected. We have raised the issue firmly.
Comments
@boppanna
At least our prophet married and kept her as a wife........dint leave her in forest after doubting the birth of own wife like the character RAma did in Ramayana after bringing sita from ravana Lanka..... a god doubting own wife....come on..
it is CD Team responsibility to track his record, details and handover to authorised people.
he don't have that much dare to sit at KSA and bark. May be jobless and gossiping with ladies. May be sitting somewhere in slum area and kept family away..
CD Team, please we hereby request you to handover this comments of bopanna and track his comments through which website/location he used and handover to authorised people for further action.
thanks u
@Bopanna KSA
By giving that statement. Don't think u will get away from KSA Govt.
Ur each and every statement might be monitoring. So be careful. rest of ur life might be in jail.
@boppanna
If KSA Comes to know and track u. Then u will be in trouble. They might hang u.
So be careful. Before commenting read the history. U will cry in tears.
Can't allow Muslim woman to suffer...... but can allow rapes ...murders ..and attack on Muslim women in communal violence...specially in Gujarat. And other women of India suffering from liquor drunk husband's and murders...... can allow tobacco products killing their husbands from cancer......can you ban this if you have guts...? Nuts will come in mouth
bopanna
don't take any messengers of Allah's name to insult..you may face disaster soon so be careful and think about your family..
If you want to know about reason why PROPHET MUHAMMED SALLAHU ALAIHIWA SALLAM married HAZRAT AYESHA RADIYALLAHU ANHA, study the history, reason etc. if not send me your email details will share the link so that you can go through it to get better treatment. Also study about his all marriages and realise what you uttered..
your LORD KRISHNA, why he married countless women? have you gone through it? their ages and reasons? leave it ..just look back the profile of your forefathers and study which is more than enough for you to understand and get proper right knowledge..
Just read news about Mohammad Aslam who is a follower of religion of peace .....
Showing his \mardaangi\""
# 25 Bopanna
Bopaana 100% sure you are not born Halal, any way you are the resident of Hell, Like Abu Jahal, Wait for your miss deed speaking ill about Our Holy Prophet Saws, Now Allah will Decree his punishment !
Sooner or Later !
You jokers are complaining about Modi ? Let's start talking about your \Prophet\" - what age was he when he married Aisha ?
He was 53 and Aisha was 6 ! What do you call that behavior ?
Do Kaudi ka Dimaag naheen hai aur sikhane chale aye ..."
Wish he would have realised when he released Babu Bajrangi from jail (who slit wombs of women and killed women & Feotus)
U ruined ur wife's life and career by not giving talaq in young days. And never stayed with her.
Feels sorry for ur wife.
PM Modi is concerned about muslim women..he is not concerned about his own wife...He killed more than 3000 muslims. He is simply implementing RSS agenda...we are now in end times. there will be a big disaster in the world. nobody might have seen and heard that kind of man made disaster...may allah protect our emaan....Ameen.
Super basavaraj ...entha comment ...superb kanree....yelli rikacha and faizal bhai message illa ...mostly burqa hudukta irbeku Mangalore rally nalli participate madlikke .. Yesterday a Hindu gal was brutally raped for more than 20 days in shimoga ...all are perfect manual followers. Haha ....in that many were madrasa students who perfected Quran and ejected for 50 days ... This shows how this third rated jihadis treat women ....yelree faizhal Bhai banreee Johnny walker haakistini banree. ...
What a drama PM! You could have got job in movies! ANSWER US ABOUT KASHMIR! His party along with media is deviating the current heated crisis of kashmir because you dont have a SOLUTION! WE MUSLIM WOMEN ARE VERY SAFE BECAUSE OF THE RIGHTS OUR RELIGION HAS GIVEN US & he needn't show us any pity..if he really want to help us..WE ARE ACTUALLY struggling for RIGHTS TO WEAR HIJAB..ALLOW US!
Modi is the perfect follower of Rama. He threw his wife into fire, she came unhurt, he drove her to the forest, she bore two children, he tried to kill her children, he lost the fight, finally he forced his wife to commit suicide. Modi driven his wife out as she was not beautiful, he neither divorced nor accepted her as his wife - a Trishanku Naraka (hell life in this world) a gift for his wife. what we can expect from a person who cant be a MAN to his wife. Old man's crocodile tears and monkey joke! Laugh loudly!!
Narendra Modi,
Yes Muslim's are well aware of Jews n their policy. And their interaction behind Muslims. Even Jews know very well they cannot come over Islam . You rss just now started hold Jews tail n starred to call jew community as your father. Remember you even don't know how they will remove u all from the universe. So it is better to follow Jews training n not to play with Islam religion.
Jai Hind!
Narendra Mode,
Yes Muslim's are well aware of Jews n their policy. And their intration behind Muslims. Even Jews know very well they cannot come over Islam . You rss just now started hold Jews tail n starred to call jew community as your father. Remembe you even don't know how they will remove u all from the universe. So it is better to follow Jews training n not to play with Islam religion.
Jai Hind!
Dis guy has no ability of looking after his own wife and protecting her. Now duniya badalne chala g...du
Any comments on ua own Wife???
Dear Modiji
When you was the CM of Gujarath how many lives of muslim women you have destroyed in the riots
Dear Modi Ji.
Kindly take a decision about your own one and only Wife Jashoda ben. Please humble request.
When our honorable PM was the CM of Gujarat hundreds of mothers,sisters and teenage girls raped and tortured publicly. That time he did't show any respect and justice to the victim of Muslim women's and culprits are not punished. Now he is acting crocodile tears in the name of protection and justice to Muslim Women. He is fooling the Muslim community.
@ #9 Basavaraja is very Familiar with CAT WALK.
Yesterday there was a rally in UP ...nearly 75% participants were women ...but it was not the case. . Madrasa students and mullahs took their wives burkha and participated in rally ..by looking at their cat walk we could make out
Really interesting. Jashodhaben's life also is ruined by triple RTI talaq.
Sirji, pehle hamara problem solve karo. Baadme beary yonka peeche jao. Come on yaar...Mardangi dikhao...
Where were u mr modi when Muslim pregnant women's were being killed during anti Muslim genocide in gujarath 2002 by ur bjp and bajrang dal activists?
What about joshadabein. Both are One And the same.
Now ur worried. Where were u when Muslim girls where murdered during Gujarati riots.
First look at your wife.
you ruined your wife.
Real Muslims never ruin their women.
first u think about your wife, other women will be fine.
Thanks coastaldigest for remembering his life's love story.
first think about your wife she wasted her precious time of her life. then think about other women's.
Modi loves selfie......he has his wife in Gujrath....he even did not give single talak her....ignoring her.....
Muslims wont agree about his formula....he has to listen to all ulemas.....they will give him a best suggestion.....
Modi is ignorant about Islamic way of life.....
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