MEA criticizes USCIRF, calls it entity of concern

New Delhi

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly criticized the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), stating that it should be designated as an entity of concern. The MEA rejected the USCIRF’s 2025 Annual Report, calling it biased and politically motivated.

Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the USCIRF has once again presented a misleading and agenda-driven assessment of India’s religious landscape. He accused the commission of misrepresenting isolated incidents to unfairly question India's vibrant multicultural society.

Jaiswal emphasized that India, with a population of 1.4 billion people practicing diverse religions, has no expectation that the USCIRF will recognize the country’s pluralistic framework or its tradition of religious harmony. He further stated that attempts to tarnish India’s global reputation as a democratic and inclusive nation will not succeed. Instead, he argued, it is the USCIRF that should be classified as an entity of concern for its repeated biased narratives.

The USCIRF’s report had called on the US government to designate India as a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), citing alleged ongoing violations of religious freedom. The report claimed that religious minorities in India faced increasing discrimination and attacks in 2024.

Dismissing these claims, the MEA reaffirmed India’s commitment to religious diversity and peaceful coexistence. It maintained that the USCIRF’s assessments reflect a deliberate agenda rather than a genuine concern for religious freedom. The MEA reiterated that such reports would not impact India’s standing as a democratic and tolerant nation.