‘No locus standi of Foreign entity’: India rejects US global religious freedom report

New Delhi, June 23: After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rejected US state department's 2018 International Religious Freedom Report, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson has slammed the US state department's 2018 International Religious Freedom report that alleged that some senior leaders of the BJP made inflammatory speeches against minority communities.

MEA in its response said that India is proud of its secular credentials, it's status as the largest democracy and pluralistic society with a longstanding commitment to tolerance and inclusion.

"The Indian constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens, including its minority communities. It is widely acknowledged that India is a vibrant democracy where the Constitution provides protection of religious freedom, and where democratic governance and rule of law further promote and protect the fundamental rights," said Raveesh Kumar, the Official Spokesperson of MEA.

He further added that it is widely acknowledged that India is a vibrant democracy where the Constitution provides protection of religious freedom, and where democratic governance and rule of law further promote and protect the fundamental rights."

"We see no locus standi for a 'foreign entity/government' to pronounce on the state of our citizens' constitutionally protected rights," he said.

Earlier, BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni had also slammed the report and called it bias.

He said, the US state department's 2018 International Religious Freedom report shows clear bias against the Narendra Modi government and the BJP.