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.
Comments
what the hell man!!
modi fan ask your mother what has congress done so far, you would be born to british pig if congress not fought for our beloved country, you are the biggest traitor, am assamed of you.
may be you born to them god knows
Muslim rajya after 50 year & you will be minority...pack your bag now itself to nepal..
but we muslim always respect the minotity or majority irrespective of cast,.
hindu, muslim, crist all people are belong to one GOD.
they we leave peacefull life after india become muslim country. mark my word very soon
I appreciate mewani. only dalits grassroot leaders can understand pain of fellow caste men.... dalits should understand this , instead of following uppercaste ring leaders , should think their empowerment thru themselves or thru with the support of like minded parties and by aligning with the people those make you to suffer since centuries...
Young Mevani is a respectful Leader!
Dalits must stand in Solidarity with the oppressed people of India.
Who the hell are you Mevani ? What locus standi do you have in our State Karnataka. To hell with you and your Urban Naxalites. You can keep on ranting and spewing your venomic diatribes against the Nationalists. We people of Karnataka will only dismiss you with the contempt you deserve. We are ready to confront you on every possible forum. This fight between you and the patriots are not going to be restricted to electoral battles. We will fight you on principles and ideologies. You might have won your election with the tacit support of the Congress. You and your ilk will face your waterloo in Our Karnataka.
Just to encroach votes and to grab the power chair, these traitors are dividing people based on caste and religion. If they are so generous let them shell out from their pockets throughout the year to each family..why just during election time? When I am standing and breathing in this land we should respect this India. Don't bark like mad street dogs, rather go help people who are really suffering being poor. Don't bring your propaganda for political gain and power !!!! and I belong to lower caste but I am Indian first
you want Congress? are you brainless? What has Cong done since independence? why the country is still like this? only an idiot would help Cong come back in the center. Rahul is a joke..
Kannadigas, Wake up and Be aware! Very shortly you are likely to be overrun by a pretender called Mewani that only talks about dalit cause, but himself hobnobs with the New Delhi/ Congress elites. He did not even visit the families of the dalits who were recently murdered in UP and Haryana, and also not reported by English media because "it did not fit their narrative". Several Hindi media covered the news story and also pointed out this hypocrisy of Mewani and others.
Another idiot who is portraying his unashamed personal ambition as a Dalit grouse! Another Kachadawal in the making. The original will bite the dust next time around; the new one will as well.
He said the same in Gujarat.. now in karantaka. No use actually. final result will be favour to BJP
I dont think so, Mr. Mevani can make big difference..! He is against BJP. BJP people are strong enough. May be BJP may give feeling of losing. But they are working hard behind.. They will do all the gimmicks. Through that they will "snatch" dalits and minority votes too
Whatever happen, there are still hardcore BJP fans.. They will do anything for BJP.. brainless people
BJP cant snatch not a single vote from dalits (if they have brain)
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