Washington: The US human rights body has recommended to put four more countries, including India, on its Red List or Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) a month releasing its religious freedom rights rankings.
It has recommended to add India, Russia, Syria and Vietnam to the list. While, Pakistan, China and Myanmar are on the US State Department’s CPC list along with North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Nigeria.
The MEA has frequently slammed the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the body which has made the recommendations.
MEA spokespersons have said the USCIRF is biased and has a limited understanding of India and its Constitution.
Even the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had declined the USCIRF’s recommendation to list India as a CPC last year and he had not even accepted USCIRF’s recommendation to put Uzbekistan on the Red List as the country is deemed strategically important for US foreign policy interests.
India is of far greater value in its economic and military heft.