Hours after a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) alleged a decline in religious freedom in India and called for the country to be designated a ?Country of Particular Concern,? the Indian government dismissed the claims as ?malicious? and termed the commission ?biased.?

Responding to the USCIRF's report, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, ?Our views on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) are well known. It is a biased organisation with a political agenda. It continues to misrepresent facts and peddles a motivated narrative about India. We reject this malicious report, which only serves to discredit USCIRF further.?

Jaiswal further urged the commission to reconsider its stance, saying, ?We would urge USCIRF to desist from such agenda-driven efforts. The USCIRF would also be well advised to utilise its time more productively on addressing human rights issues in the US.?

The USCIRF report, authored by senior policy analyst Sema Hasan, accused the Indian government of allowing disinformation and hate speech to fuel attacks on religious minorities and their places of worship. It recommended that the US Department of State designate India as a ?Country of Particular Concern? for engaging in what it described as ?systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.?

According to the report, ?Throughout 2024, individuals have been killed, beaten, and lynched by vigilante groups, religious leaders have been arbitrarily arrested, and homes and places of worship have been demolished. These events constitute particularly severe violations of religious freedom.?

However, the US State Department has yet to accept the commission?s recommendations.

The USCIRF report also pointed to changes in India's legal framework, including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the push for a uniform civil code, and anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws in several states, as evidence of efforts to disenfranchise religious minorities.

India has long contested the findings of the USCIRF, and since the tenure of the Manmohan Singh-led government, has consistently denied visas to USCIRF members, accusing the commission of ?interfering in internal affairs.?

Many Indian-American groups have also criticized the USCIRF for its reports, alleging that they are biased and intended to malign India?s global image.