India riled by criticism of religious intolerance

DELHI, India — The Indian government Feb. 27 rejected a United States report on religious freedom that criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) for societal violence against Christians and Muslims. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said the U.S. report is an intrusion in India’s internal affairs and an internal exercise prepared by the State Department for the U.S. Congress. “We take no cognizance of the report. They didn’t consult us. We don’t respond to it.”

The 1999 Report on Human Rights Practices came down heavily on India and said the potential for renewed Hindu-Muslim violence remains “considerable” and Hindu “extremist” groups continue to attack Christians. The spokesman brushed aside the report saying, “Those who concern themselves with monitoring religious freedom would be well-advised to focus their efforts on countries which remain under the pall of bigotry and intolerance, where religious minorities are discriminated against b law and their freedoms progressively curtailed.”