- Friday, January 17, 2025
RT, a Russian government-owned news network, quoted the spokesperson of the foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, saying that Washington lacks understanding of India’s national mentality and history.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE foreign ministry of Russia has slammed the United States alleging the latter wants to destabilise the ongoing national elections in India. It said it after an American federal commission’s report criticised New Delhi over alleged violations of religious freedom.
RT, a Russian government-owned news network, quoted the spokesperson of the foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, saying that Washington lacks understanding of India’s national mentality and history and continues with “unfounded accusations” about the South Asian nation’s religious freedoms.
In a statement, the spokesperson called it disrespectful to India as a country and a State.
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“The reason [behind the US accusations] is to unbalance the internal political situation in India and complicate the general elections,” RT quoted Zakharova as saying.
She also said that the US’s actions clearly constitute an interference in India’s internal matters.
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The latest episode has unfolded following the unveiling of the annual report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) which alleged violations of religious freedom in India. The commission also renewed its recommendation to the state department to call India a “country of particular concern”.
The USIRCF report said religious freedom in India continued to deteriorate and that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government has reinforced “discriminatory” nationalist policies.
It has also flagged the enforcement of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, Citizenship (Amendment) Act and anti-conversion and cow-slaughter laws in the Asian country. These laws, according to it, have led to arbitrary detention, monitoring and targeting of religious minorities and those speaking on their behalf.
“Both news media and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) reporting on religious minorities were subjected to strict monitoring under FCRA regulations,” the report has said.
Indian ministry of external affairs hit back at the US commission for allegedly trying to “interfere” in India’s electoral exercise and continuing to indulge in “propaganda” against the country.
Randhir Jaiswal, the ministry’s spokesperson, said last week that the USCIRF is known to be a “biased” entity with a political agenda.”
Meanwhile, Moscow also slammed allegations of the involvement of an Indian official in a foiled plot to murder US-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
“According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable,” Zakharova said at a briefing.
Her remarks came in connection with a report in The Washington Post that cited unnamed sources and named an officer of India’s external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing, in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun.
The report also said that India is trying to do the same as Russia and Saudi Arabia against its foes.
“‘The Washington Post’, it seems to me, should use the term ‘repressive regime’ and everything you quoted in relation to Washington. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both in domestic and international affairs,” Zakharova said.
(With agencies)
