US Religious Report : The US has made several serious allegations regarding religious freedom in India. The US State Department’s 2023 Religious Freedom Report has made baseless statements about India. The report mentions laws related to religious conversion, hate speech and allegations of demolition of homes and places of worship of minorities. In the report, the US has mentioned violent attacks on minority groups, especially Muslims and Christians. It also expressed concern over the growing bigotry against Jews and Muslims around the world.
Releasing the annual report, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States is facing anti-Semitism and Islamophobia due to the Gaza war. Blinken said that in India we are seeing a worrying increase in incidents of anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolition of homes and places of worship of minority religious communities. However, the Indian Embassy in Washington has not yet commented immediately on the report.
‘Incidents increased under Modi rule’
At the same time, US Ambassador Rashad Hussain also criticized the efforts of the Indian police. He said that Christian communities in India reported that the local police disrupted places of worship on charges of conversion activities. The police remained silent when the mob attacked them. Then the victims were arrested on charges of conversion. For decades, the US has been seeking cordial relations with India. President Joe Biden has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action against the Christian mission. Narendra Modi The BJP has embraced the BJP, a Hindu nationalist who recently won a third term. A significant increase in such cases has been seen during the BJP’s rule.
Pakistan was also mentioned in the report
The State Department also raised concerns about countries that are on the list, including India’s historic rival Pakistan. Where Blinken condemned blasphemy laws, which help foster an atmosphere of intolerance and hatred. This can cause mobs to turn violent. Blinken said hate crimes against both Muslims and Jews have increased in the United States.