New Delhi: The Indian government was  severely critical of an official US government report that claimed religious freedom in India was on a “negative trajectory” in 2015 as religious tolerance had “deteriorated” and that violations of religious freedom had “increased”.

The report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom also named some top BJP leaders and MPs, including Yogi Adityanath and Sakshi Maharaj, accusing them of “stoking religious tension”.

The external affairs ministry ripped into the report, saying it “fails to show proper understanding of India, its Constitution and society”. It may be recalled that USCIRF members were denied visas by the Indian government earlier this year on the ground that “religious freedom is enshrined in the Constitution and any foreign third party has no locus standi to comment on it or investigate it”.

The external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said the government “does not see the locus standi of a foreign entity like USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens’ constitutionally protected rights”.

In its annual report, USCIRF recommended that  the Indian government to publicly rebuke officials and religious leaders who make derogatory statements about religious communities.

Members of USCIRF were denied visas by Indian government early this year on the argument that religious freedom is enshrined in the constitution and any foreign third party has no locus standi to comment or investigate on it.

“Minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs, experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups,” the report stated. USCIRF also reported that members of the ruling BJP tacitly supported these groups and used religiously-divisive language to further inflame tensions.

Pakistan is cited as a Tier 1 country,  where particularly severe violations of religious freedom are occurring. India figures in the Tier 2 list where the violations engaged in or tolerated by the government are serious and are characterized by at least one of the elements of the “systematic, ongoing, and egregious” standard.

The report says:

“A horrified world has watched the results of what some have aptly called violence masquerading as religious devotion. All nations should care about abuses beyond their borders not only for humanitarian reasons but because what goes on in other nations rarely remains there…

Standing for the persecuted against the forces of violent religious extremism is not just a moral imperative; it is a practical necessity for any country seeking to protect its security and that of its citizens.”

  Freedom, naked truth, religion