New Delhi, Nov 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) India on Saturday hit back at "biased" and controversial United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), saying that the organisation has no business commenting on country's internal affairs. The strong response came after the US government commission had put up a post claiming that jailed student activist Sharjeel Imam has been detained in India for his "religious freedom advocacy".
Responding to the same, India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, termed the American federal agency's assessment as "habitual partisan, ill-informed, and jaundiced".
In a post on 'X", the Indian envoy said: "USCIRF has no locus standi to sit in judgment over the constitutional rights of Indian citizens. It's habitual partisan, ill-informed, and jaundiced assessments cannot diminish India’s constitutional commitment to religious freedom and equal rights for all faiths."
The senior Indian diplomat asserted that India continues to flourish defying the "agenda-driven partisan narratives" of the USCIRF.
"Taking the same liberty that USCIRF so readily assumes, a word of advice: introspect on your own prejudices and stop lecturing others," he stated.
Echoing similar view, President of the All India Imam Association, Maulana Sajid Rashidi, retorted, "You have no business commenting on our internal affairs."
Speaking to IANS, he criticised the American organisation, saying: "Who are you to meddle in our affairs? This is our domestic matter, an internal affair. We will sort it out ourselves."
Condemning the post, the Muslim cleric added: "I too have a word of advice for this organisation: you have no business commenting on our internal affairs."
Rashidi also made it clear that Sharjeel Imam does not advocate for religion.
"He has his own mindset, his own way of thinking, and he said some things for which action is being taken against him...We will sort out our affairs here in our own way, and the Muslims here are happy," he said.
BJP national spokesperson R P Singh also said that no foreign entity has the liberty to interfere in India's internal affairs.
"The case of Sharjeel Imam is currently pending in court. The court will deliver the verdict, and the decision of the Supreme Court will be final and binding. We will not tolerate any interference from external agencies," he told IANS.
Earlier this week, India had criticised USCIRF as a “biased and ill-informed organisation" with a "blatantly political agenda”, saying it has consistently kept silent on attacks on religious places and hate crimes targeting the Indian community in the US.
Source: IANS
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