New Delhi, 29 June 2024 – India's Ministry of External Affairs has vehemently rejected a recently released report by the US on religious freedom, labeling it as "extremely biased" and accusing it of lacking a proper understanding of India's social dynamics.

The response from India came after the US State Department published the 2023 'International Religious Freedom Report'. According to a report in India Today, the US document highlighted an "alarming increase" in incidents of hate speech against religious minorities in India and the vandalism of homes and places of worship.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Indian Foreign Ministry, addressed the report, stating, "The US report has come to our attention. Naturally, this report, like the past, is deeply biased and lacks understanding of India's social equation."

Jaiswal criticized the report for being influenced by electoral considerations and particular agendas. "The report has apparently been prepared keeping in mind a vote bank and driven by specific visions. So we reject it," he added.

He also mentioned that various facts were misrepresented and the information was collected from biased sources, leading to one-sided allegations. "Information has been collected depending on biased sources and allegations have been made in a manner that is completely one-sided," Jaiswal said.

India's firm rebuttal underscores ongoing tensions between the two nations over human rights and religious freedom issues. The Indian government maintains that it is committed to protecting the rights of all its citizens, regardless of their religious affiliation, and views such external reports as interference in its internal affairs.