India Hits Back at United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Report, Flags Attacks on Hindu Temples in US

India on Monday strongly criticised the latest report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), calling it a “distorted and selective” assessment of the country’s religious freedom situation.

In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi “categorically rejects” what it described as a motivated and biased characterisation of India.

“For several years now, USCIRF has persisted in presenting a distorted and selective picture of India, relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives rather than objective facts. Such repeated misrepresentations only undermine the credibility of the Commission itself,” Jaiswal said.

He added that instead of repeatedly targeting India, the commission should reflect on incidents occurring within the United States itself.

“USCIRF would do well to reflect on the disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the United States, the selective targeting of India, and the growing intolerance and intimidation faced by members of the Indian diaspora in the United States, which merit serious attention,” he said.

The remarks came a day after USCIRF released its annual report recommending targeted sanctions against organisations including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) over alleged violations of religious freedom.

The commission also urged the US government to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) — a classification used for nations accused of systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.

In the report, USCIRF claimed that religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate in 2025. It alleged that authorities introduced or strengthened laws targeting religious minorities, including stricter anti-conversion legislation in several states.

The report also referred to communal clashes in states such as Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, and criticised legislation such as the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

“Several states undertook efforts to introduce or strengthen anti-conversion laws to include harsher prison sentences. Indian authorities also facilitated widespread detention and illegal expulsion of citizens and religious refugees and tolerated vigilante attacks against religious minority communities,” the report said.