India slammed the USCIRF’s report on religious freedom, as Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Such efforts to undermine India’s standing as a beacon of democracy and tolerance will not succeed.”
India on Wednesday responded to the recently released 2025 Annual Report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), asserting that the USCIRF should be designated as an entity of concern. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “USCIRF again continues its pattern of issuing biased and politically motivated assessments.” The remarks have come in response to the USCIRF report, which claimed that attacks against minorities in India rose in 2024.
He added, “The USCIRF’s persistent attempts to misrepresent isolated incidents and cast aspersions on India’s vibrant multicultural society reflect a deliberate agenda rather than a genuine concern for religious freedom.”
“India is home to 1.4 billion people who are adherents to all religions known to mankind. However, we have no expectation that the USCIRF will engage with the reality of India’s pluralistic framework or acknowledge the harmonious coexistence of its diverse communities,” Jaiswal further added.
The MEA in its response stated that “such efforts to undermine India’s standing as a beacon of democracy and tolerance will not succeed. In fact, it is the USCIRF that should be designated as an entity of concern.”
