India has issued a firm response to a recent report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which alleged concerning trends in religious freedom within the country. The report highlights issues such as discrimination against minorities and claims regarding the destruction of mosques for temple construction, labeling the overall situation as ‘alarming.’
However, Indian observers and community leaders have vehemently contested these claims, describing the report as biased and misrepresentative. Members of the Muslim community, whose rights the report specifically addresses, have rejected its conclusions outright. They emphasize that India is a country where religious freedom is constitutionally guaranteed and actively practiced by all communities, and that such reports serve to create unnecessary friction and damage India’s international image.
This latest report follows a pattern of similar allegations leveled by USCIRF against India. Many within India question the persistent issuance of what are perceived as unilateral evaluations, seeing them as potential instruments for exerting external pressure.
In defense, Indian commentators have directed attention to the domestic record of the United States on minority rights. Data from US civil rights organizations reveal a disturbing rise in hate crimes targeting minority groups, notably Jewish and Muslim populations. The scale of hate incidents against Jewish citizens is substantial, while hate crimes against Muslims have seen a sharp increase. Reports of vandalism against Hindu and Buddhist religious sites in the US have also been documented.
Analysts believe these domestic figures from the US raise significant questions about the nation’s standing to critique other countries’ human rights records. From an Indian perspective, the USCIRF report is seen as part of a broader geopolitical agenda to destabilize or discredit emerging nations that challenge the existing global order, a perspective often articulated regarding the geopolitical maneuvering of established powers.