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India on Tuesday strongly criticised the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), calling it a “biased and ill-informed organisation” with a “blatantly political agenda”. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also questioned the commission’s credibility, pointing to what it described as its silence on attacks on religious places, hate crimes and racial abuse targeting the Indian community in the United States.
Addressing a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the USCIRF and its commissioners had consistently chosen not to speak out against such incidents in the US.
“As I have said before, the USCIRF is a biased and ill-informed organisation with a blatantly political agenda. It is particularly telling that the USCIRF and its Commissioners have consistently chosen to remain silent on attacks on religious places in the US and on the hate crimes and racial abuse targeted at the Indian community in the US. A prejudiced entity can hardly be taken seriously,” Jaiswal said.
#WATCH | Delhi: Answering a question by ANI about a commissioner at the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) commenting on the ‘rising targeting of religious places, including Gurudwaras, Churches and Mosques’ in India, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “The USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) is a biased and ill-informed organisation with a blatantly political agenda. It is particularly telling, and you must note that the USCIRF and its commissioners have consistently kept silent on attacks on religious places in the United States, as well as on hate crimes and racial abuse that are targeted at the Indian community in the United States. Prejudiced entities like the USCIRF can hardly be taken seriously.”
— ANI (@ANI) November 10, 2026
India-US Ties Enjoy Strong Bipartisan Support: MEA
During the briefing, while responding to one of the questions on the US midterm elections, Jaiswal said the electoral exercise was an internal matter of the United States and declined to comment on it. However, he emphasised that India-US relations enjoyed strong bipartisan support in Washington.
“The India-United States relationship enjoys strong bipartisan support in the US. We continue to work to further strengthen our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the US,” he said.
India Says Engagement With US Lobbying Firms Normal Diplomatic Practice
Asked about reports concerning India’s engagement with lobbying firms in Washington, DC, and disclosures under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Jaiswal said it was standard diplomatic practice for missions to engage such firms to facilitate outreach to the US administration, members of Congress and other stakeholders.
He said India’s engagement with lobbying firms in Washington dated back to 1948 and that such activities were carried out in accordance with applicable US laws, including FARA, under which the firms’ activities are publicly disclosed.
“Such engagements are undertaken in accordance with the applicable US laws, including the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), under which the activities of these firms are publicly disclosed. India has been engaging lobby firms in Washington DC since 1948,” he said.
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