India responded to criticism in a US State Department report on religious freedom on Friday, saying it’s sad that “vote bank politics” is being used in international relations.
According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s annual report on worldwide religious freedom,
attacks against members of minority communities, including deaths, assaults, and intimidation.
They occurred in India throughout 2021.
Blinken cited India as one of the nations where “religious freedom and the rights of religious minorities are under assault.”
India responded by noting that “racially and ethnically driven attacks, hate crimes, and gun violence” on American territory are a matter of concern for New Delhi.
Arindam Bagchi, a spokesman for the External Affairs Ministry, describes the report’s observation of India are based on “motivated inputs and biased perspectives.”
He said “We have noted the release of the U.S. State Department 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom, and ill-informed comments by senior U.S. officials,”.
Vote-bank tactics used in international relations
India refuted a US State Department report on religious freedom on Friday saying
“It is unfortunate that vote bank politics practiced in international relations.
We urge that assessments based on motivated inputs and biased views avoided,” he added.
Bagchi was reacting to questions from the press on the report saying,
“As a naturally pluralistic society, India values religious freedom and human rights.
In our discussions with the U.S., we have regularly highlighted issues of concern there, including racially and ethnically motivated attacks, hate crimes and gun violence,” he added.
Attacks against religious minorities included in the study’s section on India.
Throughout the year, there have been attacks against members of religious minority communities, including killings, assaults, and intimidation. As a result, the report’s India section noted “incidents of cow vigilantism” against non-Hindus based on suspicions of cow slaughter or beef trading.
