USCIRF continues to misrepresent facts time and again in its statements and reports, the MEA said

India has dismissed the 2022 United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report on religious freedom in India as “biased and inaccurate”.

The comments reflect a severe lack of understanding of India and its constitutional framework, plurality and democratic ethos, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday.

The USCIRF continues to “misrepresent” facts time and again in its statements and reports in pursuance of its motivated agenda, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in response to media queries on comments on India by USCIRF.

“We have seen the biased and inaccurate comments on India by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). These comments reflect a severe lack of understanding of India and its constitutional framework, its plurality and its democratic ethos,” Bagchi said.

“Regrettably, USCIRF continues to misrepresent facts time and again in its statements and reports in pursuance of its motivated agenda. Such actions only serve to strengthen concerns about the credibility and objectivity of the organization,” he added.

The USCIRF, in its report released in April 2022, had recommended designating India as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC claiming religious intolerance in the country.