Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra accused the USCIRF of making partisan and ill-informed assessments regarding India's constitutional rights.
India's ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, criticised the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Saturday for its remarks regarding jailed activist Sharjeel Imam. According to reports by the Times of India and India Today, the ambassador stated that the commission has no authority to judge the constitutional rights of Indian citizens.
The dispute arose after the USCIRF shared a profile of Imam on X, describing him as a Muslim man held in India for his advocacy of religious freedom. Kwatra responded by calling the commission's assessments habitual, partisan, and prejudiced.
The ambassador advised the advisory body to examine its own biases and cease lecturing others, stating that India continues to thrive despite the agenda-driven narratives of the USCIRF.
Imam, a former scholar, was arrested in January 2020 during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code, including allegations of involvement in a conspiracy related to the February 2020 North-East Delhi riots.
The USCIRF was established by the US government in 1998. Its recommendations are non-binding on the US State Department.
