Russia accuses US of interference in India's elections amid religious freedom criticism
Criticism comes in wake of latest annual report by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, which renewed its recommendation to designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern"
PTC Web Desk: The Russian foreign ministry has accused the US of attempting to destabilise India during its 2024 Lok Sabha elections, following criticism from a US federal commission regarding alleged violations of religious freedom in New Delhi.
According to RT news, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, stated that Washington's lack of understanding of India's national mentality and history leads to unfounded accusations about religious freedoms in the country. Zakharova said such actions were disrespectful to India and constitute interference in its internal affairs.
The criticism comes in the wake of the latest annual report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which renewed its recommendation to designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern." The report accused the ruling BJP of reinforcing discriminatory nationalist policies and highlighted concerns about the enforcement of various laws, resulting in arbitrary detention and targeting of religious minorities and their advocates.
India's Ministry of External Affairs strongly condemned the USCIRF's actions, accusing it of attempting to interfere in India's electoral process and engaging in propaganda against the country. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal labeled the USCIRF as biased and criticized its failure to understand India's diverse and democratic ethos.
Additionally, Moscow dismissed allegations of Indian involvement in a plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, citing a lack of reliable evidence from Washington. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs rejected a report by The Washington Post linking an Indian official to the alleged plot, describing it as speculative and unsubstantiated.
In response to Zakharova's comments regarding "repressive regime," the External Affairs Ministry rejected The Washington Post report, labeling it as unwarranted and unsubstantiated. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the ministry, criticised the report as speculative and irresponsible, particularly on a serious matter under investigation.